The Last Mission
by amoredjenaue
Summary: Sequel to The Geheime Vernietiging. Bourneward and MetBella four years later. Have they escaped the demons of Edward's past and the connections of Bella's family. Or was it merely the beginning? Will Edward have to coat his armor again for one last mission? Agent Cullen/Assassin/Crime/Family/Romance/Drama *COMPLETE*
1. Prologue

**_~PROLOGUE_**

 ** _"Riders on the Storm" Rob Thomas version_**

The door came to a screeching halt as he sat down in his cell. It wouldn't be long until his sons saved him. He was buying his time, knowing they were waiting for the perfect opportunity. And once he was out he would again reign over the family—his family, _la sua familia_ , his legacy.

There was no more Jan. There was no more accountability to anyone; no more strings being pulled or devices hanging over his head. He relished the thought of having his organization back. Just his.

He crumpled the newspaper in his hand as he stared at it, half smirking and half saddened by his tormented _friend_ 's demise. Aro Volturi didn't feel sorry for him, because honestly he didn't feel sorry for anyone. But he did remember when once they had been the best of friends and once he was the only person he could trust in the world. Once upon a time Jan Cullen was the only person who understood him, until they both let women rip them apart and seal the end of their friendship.

Aro and Jan were practically brothers at Columbia prep. They even won tennis doubles and played basketball together. They were always inseparable, Jan and Aro, Aro and Jan. And they were tied more tightly than most best friends as they had a similar affection that they confided in one another- they both hated their fathers, hated what they had become and hated that they would have to follow in their footsteps. Together they commiserated over the hands they were dealt. Sure they were both from wealthy families and had avoided the world war unlike most their age. But it didn't matter, Aro's father was a no-good drunk who squandered most of his earnings as a made man in his uncles' organization, and Jan's father was no better in making unwise investments.

But of course once he graduated from Columbia prep he was shipped off to Philadelphia to work his way up in the organization and eventually take over his father's place. Yet, what he thought he would hate, he grew to not only accept but love, thrive on, _crave._ He was a leader, feared and revered among other men. His uncles had been impressed and quickly recognized that he could take over even at his ripe young age.

His cousin Vito was a hot head and in jail at every turn and his other uncle had five daughters. It wasn't before long that the uncles realized what an asset they had in young Aro. He was no longer simply rising in the ranks and hoping to become a made man. No, he was now being groomed to take over one day—as the new Don of the organization. He _was_ a Volturi of course, and only a Volturi, with Volturi blood would ever be in charge of the expanse.

And so it began—his grooming, his preparation, his slow wield of power over the organization.

But then the uncles insisted that he must begin to look about carrying on the bloodline. Vito couldn't be trusted, his other cousin's were women and it was solely left to him. So they arranged a marriage with an old contact in Italy. The war wreaked havoc on Europe and he thought any woman would want him after coming from that. He never paid much time or attention to women, they were a nuisance really, a distraction.

Until that day in November of 1948. It was cold and rainy but the uncles insisted he meet her at the airport. He sat in waiting—impatiently—he had things to do, he was a Don in the making.

Just as he was about to huff and tell the driver to wait for her and get another ride back, his eyes caught sight of chestnut waves billowing around a perfect heart-shaped face. Her eyes were deep and dark, like a river of chocolate that he could get lost in and float away. His entire body responded to the woman before him as she stood there nervously looking around in her Sunday best—a beautiful navy wool suit that fit her petite frame perfectly. He couldn't help but admire the woman before him as she was nothing short of breathtaking.

He shook his head in a daze until he wondered, could it be her?

Could it be… _Liona?_

He stepped toward her and her eyes caught sight of him as he made his way. She trembled as she peered at him. He was older than her and appeared to be a very wealthy and commanding man. She could tell by the cut of his suit and the shine of his shoes that he was a man of power in this world and he shouldn't be crossed. He had a dark look in his eyes, however, she wasn't sure whether to fear or admire it.

Their eyes locked and as desire raced through his body nervousness sped through hers.

She feared him. She was sure of it after only a moment and she immediately thought the entire situation amiss.

But she took a deep breath and thought back to her father's words.

 _"Make me proud my dear; it's your only way out of this place." She had nodded and squeezed her father tightly as tears welled in her eyes. With one final good-bye she stepped off the platform and onto her train for Rome and eventually a flight to the United States._

She always knew her father was into something more than the shoe factory he ran in Naples. She knew they wouldn't have survived the war and the wrath of Mussolini otherwise. But she just couldn't think of her padre that way—Franco Mancini was a smart man—so smart he kept his family insulated as best he could from the outside world. Instead she fingered her pendant that he gave her at her Conferma. Her mother died when she was thirteen of the cancer and she became her father's right hand to help raise her seven younger brothers and sisters. She would miss them so, but she willed the tears away as she tried not to think about it.

As she stood before the man then, she tried to do the same. Something in her body was screaming at her that it was all a mistake, but the way he looked at her made her hope that someday she would feel the same way.

Aro extended his hand and offered it to her as her espresso brown eyes worried in anticipation. At the instant touch he was completely consumed by her and she was terrified all the same. But then it didn't matter. She was there in America with no way to turn back.

Of course it followed that in the short time she met his family and was swept into his lavish lifestyle she tried to love or at least care for the man. Yet, he was obsessive and possessive with her. He watched her every move by his guards, the other wives and his watchmen, and she knew. She knew with time, even after the first few months, she would never escape.

As soon as she became his wife and played the role of his perfect other half, it became all the more apparent just the type of man Aro Volturi was. It was apparent from his business dealings and the men who came through their doors that she supposedly never saw or heard.

But Liona could see them all in her mind—all of the black suits that came through their door at all hours of the day and night. She tried to turn a blind eye, tried to become the woman he expected, but her heart just couldn't commit to it. She didn't love him and after only months of marriage and the few times she displeased him, she knew she never could. The suits would come and the whispers would begin as the smoke from their cigars snaked out from under the door.

Yet she was Italian and the one thing they didn't know was that Aro's office was connected with her bedroom through a vent. She could hear their chatter and their discussions late into the evening. She could hear Jan, that loathsome, evil man. And she could hear their discussions of things beyond compare.

But, one man in particular was very troubling. Aro called him the Spaniard but he had a strange accent, almost as if he wasn't Spanish at all. He spoke of "il distruttore" and "la sua giaguari" and the fact that his men followed him blindly and without question. She never could catch his name though. He was the most secretive, coming only in the middle of the night so that she only knew his voice.

She listened intently, trying to determine just what her husband was to these men. She would never forget that night, the one that confirmed Aro's status in the underworld. The title the men bestowed upon him as more than a usual amount gathered in his lair.

 _Don._

 _Come Capone._

And with that she knew the kind of family she married into. She knew her father had connections that she never thought imaginable. And she knew…she had to escape. She began her diaries and writings of every man who passed through his door. Even if she couldn't speak the language, even if she couldn't always understand, she understood enough.

Enough to know they were murderers, enough to know they were evil disgusting gun-runners, and rapists and dealers of the black market. Enough to know without a doubt that her father had been one of them as well.

So not knowing what else to do with the information, she began to write. She kept it all in her diaries, their voices, their looks, their languages, their discussions. Everything.

Knowing one day it would enable her freedom.

She just had to wait. She had to outlast Aro's anger that she hadn't produced him a son. She had to pretend to love him in the same way that he obsessively devoured her in every presence. She had to endure the back of his hand when he came home drunk or took from her the most precious of her as he pleased.

So she endured and she listened, and watched, and wrote, and waited.

Until that fateful day, the day when she heard them talking. Aro and the Spaniard as well as Jan and several other of his compadres. It was once again the middle of the night, but they were discussing a murder. And this time it wasn't just of one of the opposing families or of a low level man who turned.

No, this was of a high-ranking official. A "representative" as they said. She didn't know much about politics or America but she knew this was a prominent man.

Yet the next day, she went on as though nothing ever happened. She went to the club to lunch with the other wives in the Chanel suit Aro insisted she wore. As she sat she mulled over the new facts. She hadn't slept a wink the night before. Luckily the other wives spoke Italian so she could understand them, but when she wanted to daze she could tune them out when they switched to English, which she wasn't fluent in yet, and talked of shopping and manicures and hairstyles of the time. It was her only time out, away from their fortified mansion and away from Aro—her brief lunches and her short stints to run a few errands.

That day, she couldn't help but notice a man sitting at the table next to them. He was by himself, sipping a cup of coffee and reading the paper. It was very unlike someone to read the newspaper at lunch, she thought, but he looked as though he was perfectly content. She couldn't help but take in his dark hair and rugged chin. He was fit, she could see through his tailored suit, and looked as though he belonged in one of those Hollywood movies rather than at the uppity club outside Philadelphia.

Her breath caught as she looked at him and she couldn't explain her reaction, she only knew one thing.

He was simply dazzling.

Liona couldn't take her eyes off of him and once he glanced up to see her, his penetrating blue eyes pierced into hers, she had no choice but to look away. But not before she could see the softness in his face, the caring behind his debonair exterior.

She slipped back into the conversation, trying not to look at the man or notice her breath quicken or her pulse racing beneath her skin.

What was this feeling? Surely she had never felt it before and surely not just because of the look of a man.

But every day for the next month as she lunched, she noticed he was there. Either in his navy or his pinstripe suits so perfectly tailored to his sharp frame. Liona tried to pay attention, tried to converse with the wives, but she couldn't help the draw to the man. To a man whom she'd never spoken to, didn't know his name and shouldn't even be looking at. Aro would surely make her pay if he found out about that.

Yet one day she excused herself to use the restroom, simply hoping to have some reprieve from her stifling life, the constant watch of Aro or his men or the wives. And as she stepped down the hallway to splash some water on her face and collect herself she could feel a presence.

"Mrs. Volturi isn't it?" A smooth voice asked behind her and she turned to look at him. Now that he was beside her and not seated she could see how powerful and truly magnificent he was.

"Si…Um…yes." She sputtered.

"Liona perhaps?" He asked then.

She nodded again and he extended his hand. And as hers met his and his lips kissed the back of it, a spark of electricity raced through her body and she felt as though she was set aflame. His eyes widened at the same time hers did and it was at that moment she knew she was forever changed.

And so it began, from one simple meeting in the hallway, to secret lunches with her new friend "Patricia" that she fabricated to get away from Aro and the wives. She would take longer to get her hair done, or go "shopping" only to meet him at his place.

She made sure she wasn't followed, always taking a back entrance or a quick escape. But she couldn't stay away from him. And as he slowly revealed himself and she the same, she came to grow close to him, to admire him and to desire him in a way she had never wanted another man.

Then one day he laid it all on the line for her. It was three months after they met. He was FBI, he knew who she was because he had been investigating her husband. With her diligent study of English the last few months, she was becoming better and better and she could understand his fear in telling her.

But she had to ensure him that she didn't love Aro, she wouldn't rat him out and instead, she wanted an escape. As the next few months progressed she came to love him, she was sure of it. Patrick was her only light in the dark world she entered when she came to the United States. So when he proposed the idea of faking her death, she wanted nothing more than to go along with it. And then he confessed that he shouldn't be so involved, but he was in love with her, and if she wanted him, he would come with her as well.

She stood speechless, unbelieving that a man so wonderful as him could feel the same way about her. She was a mere immigrant, the wife of a disgusting evil man. How could he want her?

But he did. And so she went and she never looked back.

Until she realized not long after her escape that she had finally bore a child to Aro. After all the trials and tribulations, after all of the heartache, she was pregnant. But it was a child she was determined he would never meet. The child wasn't bore of love and devotion, it was bore of power and greed and she would never let her child be exposed to that. Patrick agreed and agreed that he would claim the child as his own. He set up their cover, all the while careful to make sure Aro would never find her.

And he never did. He never found her even though she was only in New York, not far from him and not far from his evil friend Jan.

Of all the suits, of all the men other than the Spaniard she hated him the most. For as much as she despised Aro, she feared and loathed Jan for the power he had over her life when she was with him. She knew of Aro and Jan's fallout over Seraphina. And yet, once she escaped, she never thought of Jan or Aro or Seraphina again.

But Aro did. And Aro thought of Liona every day for the rest of his life from when he found out about her tragic "death."

He could still remember the phone call to her father Franco. When he notified Franco, he was devastated. He knew the family's old contacts in Italy were still fruitful. Even though Franco was beside himself over Liona's death, Aro reconnected the ties for the family. Eventually Franco's eldest son became a made man and soon enough he had his own stronghold in the Naples contingent. The 50s and 60s proved fruitful for the black market as the technology of the times made it much easier to ship and smuggle the drugs and weapons they brought in. Yet the Feds weren't as advanced as the crime families and the Volturis were always one step ahead.

But as his organization became more powerful and he ran more drugs and guns and black market product than he could have ever imagined, he never truly had control. He had the silent partner he always had to contend with. Really he was a silent dictator, ordering Aro in ways he never could have imagined. And Aro knew it was all his own fault. He knew he would never escape the hold Jan had on him.

It was all his fault for taking away Jan's precious Seraphina.

He never loved Sera, he just ran out of options as he aged. Sera was a whore to say it kindly. But Jan was in love with her for some reason. It happened the first year in Philadelphia, long before Liona and long before his life as a don really took place.

He thought he would prove a point by showing his friend how much she didn't care that she would even sleep with him. Of course it all backfired, and Jan turned vindictive, cruel and most of all relentless in his revenge on Aro. He held him under his thumb for the rest of his life. And a part of him was saddened that he knew he created the monster of a man. Jan married cold heartless Sasha and it forever fractured their friendship. Even once Liona came and Sera was no longer in the picture, it still didn't matter.

But then Liona died and everything went to hell. He didn't care about anything anymore. He drank himself into a stupor countless nights on end. The uncles became worried that the family would never continue. Until one night Sera showed up on his doorstep with her two young boys in hand, her young boys sired by his worthless cousin Vito who was again in jail. She asked him for a place to stay, saying she could give him what he needed as they held Volturi blood and he her. They had both been through torment the last few years.

So he took her up on her offer and began to live the lie. He remarried and treated the boys as if they were his. They never had any other kids. In reality, it was Aro who had difficulty fathering children, something he learned decades later. He was humbled to find out it wasn't his precious Liona's fault for not giving him a child, it was likely his.

Aro sighed in relief and frustration. Soon, soon, he kept telling himself as he sat in his cell, his mind racing with the events of the last sixty years.

He looked down again at the paper, seeing the picture of Jan as well as his son and family across the spread. He had heard of the interviews that Carlisle did, he knew how they didn't have any part in it—of course he always had. Nevertheless he couldn't help but notice the one picture that was missing from the spread.

Edward and his precious Bella and the sacred child that they now surely had. There was mere mention of the pair and the grandchild, but no picture in the spread. He wanted more than anything to see her, he had never actually seen her in person but he saw her picture. He knew it from the moment Phil Dwyer handed it over that she came from his precious Liona. She was practically an exact replica of his long lost wife. And when he saw the picture he was at once enraged, shattered, elated and speechless at the same time. Staring back at him in all her dark eyes and creamy pale skin had been his precious Liona's flesh.

He knew she had never died, deep into the pits of his dark soul he always knew _his_ Liona was out there somewhere and the picture hit him with the force of a wrecking ball. It brought his years of torment and longing to a raging head. He was outraged that he had not found her before and demanded to know where and how Phil Dwyer, the no good gambler, washed-up baseball star, of all people, had this picture. The foolish bettor was hardly a threat, he was simply another cog in the wheel of the organization, but he had no idea the gem he stumbled upon. Then to find out it was his step-daughter made Aro all the more shocked by the revelation. Here she was not only alive and well, but Liona had likely been right under his fingertips all these years.

But before he could act on it, the Feds began closing in. He sent his "sons" off to his old contact in Venezuela and his men snuck them into Brazil. Johan was no longer as powerful either as he had joined the prison not long after Aro. Then he found out the unthinkable had happened, he and Liona had created a child. He had a biological son, against all science and wisdom, and the girl in the picture staring back at him had not just been Liona's granddaughter, but his as well.

But by then it was too late, Jan tightened the noose around his neck and had him right where he wanted him. He couldn't risk sending someone to speak with his long lost son or grandson, yet he knew he had to protect them at all costs from the claws of Jan Cullen.

Still, he vowed, one day, one day he would meet her and he would look into the eyes of one of the two true flesh and blood he had on this planet. Even if her assassin husband threatened him to the ends of the earth, he would meet her just to see _her_ face once again. He knew of Edward's protectiveness, he knew he was as relentless as his grandfather, albeit in an entirely different realm and for different reasons. But he didn't fear him, if anything he wished him luck in protecting his long lost granddaughter and great-grandchild. But it didn't change that he would be out, sooner rather than later, and he would meet her if it was the last thing he did.

Aro closed the paper and sat back in his cell. He would bide his time. He would wait patiently, and eventually he would be out again. And this time he would truly be free. He would be free of Jan and free of the Draconis and free of the Buxton group men as well. He didn't care if he had to do it in hiding; he didn't care if he was the silent don the next time around. No, he would simply rise back to power and reclaim his place in the underworld. He would reign over his family and the Volturi would rise again.

 **XXXX**


	2. Chapter 1- The Good Life

_**Chapter**_ _ **One:**_ _ **The Good Life**_

" _ **Under Pressure" by Queen**_

 _ **~Agent Cullen~**_

 _ ******_ _"Do you know where they're headed?" Liam shouted as the wind whipped around us._

" _No. Do you?" I shook my head to reiterate my statement. The sound of the approaching helicopter overhead was deafening._

" _Who knows, probably South America. But it doesn't matter now. We have to get you out. We'll make it look like you bled to death. Leave a trail..."_

 _I nodded as I grabbed my side. Volturi's man got me good, but not before I escaped the warehouse and set it ablaze. Liam looked at me as I winced and I could tell he knew my pain._

 _I was no longer alive to this mission. I was officially off this case, especially now that the Don would be coming down. He couldn't run much longer. Regardless of which direction the rest of his men went, the train to D.C. he escaped on had been stopped in Delaware and agents were boarding it to apprehend him as we spoke._

" _Don't worry about it. His sons will come down soon enough too. You did your job. Let them take care of the rest." Liam reassured me. I knew I fucked up by letting Volturi's man see me and possibly show my face to any cameras in the warehouse, which was part of the reason we torched it. But now my part was over, my mission ended. I drove Volturi out so they could apprehend him and fulfilled my duties._

 _I groaned and felt the blood trickle down my side as the helicopter descended on the run-down part of Philadelphia where Liam and I waited. We would both be off to our next missions. Once I healed, I knew I would be called up again soon. My first mission was behind me and for all intents and purposes we had helped take down one of the biggest criminals of the century._

 _The pilot motioned for us to board now that we had the all-clear and Liam and I didn't say another word on the way back. I just thought about my brother and fingered the pendant in my pocket while I waited for the descent to take me back to Quantico, back to my life in the FBI and one step farther away from my family._

" _Just move on to the next one Edward. Let it all go, okay…" Liam gave me a penetrating gaze…_

"Edward?"

I shook my head at the sound to my right. Someone was pulling me from my dream as I blinked at the light flooding the room.

"Edward. Baby it's time to get up."

I groaned, willing away the vodkas that I drank with my Dad last night. I heard a giggle and threw my arm over my eyes as I tried to wash away my hangover and my memory, not having a clue what it meant.

"Edward. We have to get up so we can get back to the City. I have an appointment today." Bella prodded me as she ran her hand over my chest.

"I know." I said raspily. "Fucking Ketel One." I grumbled and Bella laughed again.

"Well that's one thing I actually don't miss while being pregnant. I would kill for a martini, but not the hangover." She said as I felt her crawl up next to me and nuzzle my chin. "What were you up so late talking about anyway?"

"Nothing." I shrugged, still trying to make some sense of it.

I thought back to the day before and the strange man on the beach. It was the end of the Fourth of July weekend and of course my father and I saddled up to the pool table in the basement with a bottle of Ketel One between us. I kept coming back to what the man said and instead tried to focus on spending time with my Dad before he and my mother left for an extended vacation.

On some level I also knew I was pumping him for information. It wasn't that he knew anything—consciously anyhow. But I thought, just maybe something from our past, Eric's past, his past, or Jan's would be triggered to make some sense of the man.

But the words just didn't fit and kept bugging me for some reason…

" _Yeah. Sorry about that jailbreak. Sometimes he listens great and others…"_

" _Yeah. Dogs are like rookies—hard to train in…they just don't do it like some of the old guys do."_

" _Oh you know…in certain organizations that is_ _."_

" _Thanks for stopping the runaway train."_

His words kept looping on repeat in my head. And for some reason they triggered my dream last night. I couldn't fit it together. Nothing my father said helped at all either.

I rolled over and rubbed my eyes as I sat up with just the sheet over my lap. I heard Bella laugh again and I grumbled at her.

"C'mon tough guy. I'll help you into the shower and get you some coffee." She was standing in front of me and I looked up and squinted.

I had to contain the growl that began low in my chest. Sometimes she just took my breath away. She was wearing a white sundress, her hair freshly wet from her shower and spilling over her shoulders down her back. The scent of her shampoo was wrapping around me like a blanket and an entirely new desire took over as I looked at her.

I pulled her into my arms between my legs as she wrapped her hands around my neck.

"I might need you to help me shower." I said gruffly, my voice still thick from my late night. I could feel the stirring below the sheet and she chuckled at me.

"As much as I would love to help you clean up, we have to get going. And you better…take care of that problem there." She eyed the noticeable straining against the sheet and kissed me on my forehead.

I pulled her tighter as she tried to slip away and fell back on the bed forcing her to straddle my waist.

"Edward!" She screeched.

"C'mon Liefje, Eric can't be awake yet." I began to rub my hands up her thighs under her dress and I both felt and heard her intake of breath. She reflexively moved back against me and I hissed at the contact. I could see her face flushing with known arousal as I swept my hands higher and she bent down to kiss me.

Just as her lips met mine she stopped my hands and placed a quick kiss on my lips.

"Later. We have to get to my appointment." And with that she was off of me, even seven months pregnant, she was faster than me in my dizzied state.

"Tease." I grumbled as I plopped my head back on the bed.

"Never." She taunted as she laughed and slipped out of the room.

I scrubbed my face again willing both my body and my brain to calm down until I finally climbed out of bed for the shower. The hot water felt glorious against my skin as I washed away my hangover and the confusion of the previous day.

 _It's nothing. He didn't mean anything by it._

I just kept repeating that over and over in my head. My life had been damn near perfect in the last three years. I had everything I ever wanted and more—my beautiful wife, our son, and our daughter soon on the way. My family was back together and closer than ever and I truly enjoyed my job. I had nothing to complain about, nothing to worry about.

 _Which was why I kept trying to convince myself not to get consumed in the ramblings of a random man or in the musings of my own mind._

My father helped to convince me of that the night before as we put away the bottle of vodka and reveled in old memories in rare form.

 _It was nothing._

Eventually, I scrubbed down, exited and got dressed for the day. As I descended the stairs I could hear the kids playing and my parents, Bella, Jasper and Alice laughing in the kitchen.

"Do you have to be so loud? It's only seven-thirty in the morning." I heard my father grumble and I stepped into the kitchen to see that he hadn't faired any better than me. My mother was shaking his head at him as everyone else chuckled, until they saw me.

"Edward! Good lord you too? What were you two doing all night you both look terrible?" My mother chided me while she tried to contain her laughter.

"Playing pool." I muttered and my Dad shot me a glance. I had mentioned the strange encounter to him and he promised to keep it quiet. We didn't need everyone else worrying about nothing.

"Must have been some pool game." Alice teased as she raised her eyebrow. Bella took pity on me and handed me a cup of coffee and a bagel. While the rest of our family continued their fun banter, my father and I sat at the table and exchanged wearied glances.

"So you're back to work tomorrow?" He asked.

"Yeah. The long weekend was nice, but we don't want to take too much time off so we can save it for when Lucy gets here."

"Lucy?"

"Luciana Esme." I smiled and looked down. "We decided to name her after Bella's grandmother..." I glanced across the kitchen and the two most important women in my life—well for now. "And Mom." I said as I glanced back.

"She'll love that Edward." My Dad gave me a thoughtful smile and we went back to our coffee and the newspaper.

As the coffee cleared my head and I made my way through the business section of the _Times_ I noticed a strange heading on the top.

 _ **Where are they now? Moguls and Mobsters of the Twentieth Century**_

 _Well…fuck._

I quickly skimmed the article wondering if my father had already seen it. It detailed the top ten most notorious criminals of the past fifty years. And of course who was listed on the top, none other than Jan Cullen as number one and Aro Volturi as number two.

I looked at my father who sighed again and closed his eyes. He had obviously seen the article earlier and his weariness wasn't just from his drinking last night. We all thought this had been laid to rest years ago. It was in the past, under the rug and we had moved on. I had moved on.

And now it was all being drudged up again.

*&^%$#

" _Mr. Cullen. Do you have a comment on the recent article about your grandfather?"_

" _Mr. Cullen, is there any merit to the claims that your family still has ties with organized crime?"_

" _Mr. Cullen has your family's tie with Aro Volturi jeopardized your status with the FBI?"_

" _Mr. Cullen, Mr. Cullen, Mr. Cullen…"_

I took the steps up to the FBI building and walked with my briefcase in one hand and coffee in the other. My pace picked up as I closed in on the door to headquarters but the pack of reporters still chased behind me. I learned long ago to ignore their inquisitions, but it still burned me that they could think my family or I had anything to do with my grandfather's transgressions or Aro Volturi's.

I was almost to the door when a slight young reporter with bright red hair stepped in front of me.

"Agent Cullen is it true your wife is related to Aro Volturi?" Her bright blue eyes pierced into me as her curly hair swept like fire around her face.

I stopped short. I was instantly speechless. My mind was swimming with questions as my pulse raced through my body in nervousness.

 _How the fuck does she know that?_

My eyes set on hers and I realized that the entire group fell silent. I finally shook my head to clear the air as I gathered my breath.

"No comment." I muttered and then pushed past her to get inside.

Once I made it to the lobby, I leaned against the wall. It had been like this since we returned from our long weekend away on Tuesday. The reporters were outside our condo building, outside the FBI and they even tried to catch Bella at the Met. Luckily our sitter was a woman who lived in our building so Eric wasn't exposed to it. But I didn't like the idea of my pregnant wife fending off the vultures.

Especially now that one of them had a tip about Volturi.

 _Fuck._

I shook my head and tried to slow my breath as I walked down the hallway toward the elevators. I sipped my coffee and tried to calm my nerves. I wasn't sure how to proceed. Working like a "normal" person changed the way that I could live my daily life—for the better of course—but I didn't have the freedom to come and go as I pleased or watch out for potential threats.

And it made me really fucking uneasy. Especially after this weekend.

My thoughts had been a mess since the man on the beach and the article, and now this. A tip about Volturi.

 _Fuck, that's not common knowledge._

Damnit. It wasn't supposed to get out, but we always knew it would. We couldn't keep it under wraps forever. I took a deep breath and pushed off the wall as the elevator finally arrived.

As I boarded, I noticed a young man standing next to me. I hadn't seen him before, I really was off my game lately as I didn't watch things out of the corner of my eyes like I used to.

I was hoping that wouldn't have to change.

He nodded and I stepped forward into the elevator and pressed the button for my floor.

"Which floor?" I asked him.

"Twenty-three please." I nodded and realized he was going to the same floor I was.

My gaze moved to the man, curious who he could be if he was going to the New York FBI headquarters.

"Are you an agent?" I asked nonchalantly.

"Yeah." He grinned widely. "First assignment, I'm a bit nervous. Riley Biers." He offered his hand.

"Edward Cullen."

"Cullen…really?" He blew out a breath.

"Yeah." I asked with a raised eyebrow.

 _How did he know me?_

"You're kind of a legend." He was still wide-eyed as he swallowed and finally stopped shaking my hand.

"How so?" I asked, perplexed.

"Well, you know, you're sort of…one of a kind." He shrugged.

"What do you mean?"

"Hadn't you heard? They started a new program at Quantico. It's for advanced training and agents with exceptional skills. It's practically named after you."

"What?" I was in shock. _How had I not heard about this?_

"Yeah. Just completed it." He smiled proudly. "It takes about three months longer, but you get almost double the training in the short amount of time. It's pretty hard to get into."

"When did they start it?"

"My class was the first. There were only five of us."

"Five." I said aloud.

Five assassins. Five naturally bred killers. Five others… _like me._

My stomach rolled at the thought. Just what I fucking needed to hear after the way this week was going. I didn't revel in what I did in my first years in the FBI, especially during the last mission involving my grandfather and the Draconis.

"So you've been placed here?" I asked, attempting to change the subject because I was going to have to look into this new program a bit more.

"Yeah. Actually I was hoping to work with you." He said as he cast a downward gaze.

"With me?" I was shocked.

The elevator rang and as we arrived at our floor. I shook my head trying to make something of this new information. Riley and I checked in through security and he followed me through. I felt a bit like I had a shadow for some reason.

Did this kid really think he was going to be paired with me? Did he not know I worked behind a desk? I only trained agents twice a month. What did he expect to learn from me?

"Agent Cullen. Sorry if I…I mean…do you think we could have lunch sometime?" He asked nervously.

I pulled myself from my thoughts and looked back at his expectant expression.

 _Shit. What could I say?_

"Sure." I noticed he had his orders in his hand and was likely supposed to meet with Garrett. "But you better not keep SA Morgan waiting. He doesn't like people to be late." I nodded.

He all but saluted me and walked off. I sighed. I wasn't sure what to make of this. Between the strange man on the beach, the article, the reporter and now this new protégé, or young man who wanted to be my protégé, telling me of a program named after me at Quantico. It had been one hell of a week.

It appeared I had some phone calls to make.

*&^%$#

"Bella?"

I walked in and could hear music playing lightly over the speakers as I set my briefcase by the door and loosened my tie.

"Zoonie?"

I walked down the hallway to Eric's bedroom to find Mijn Vrouw and Mijn Zoon giggling on the floor. My heart skipped as I watched them together. No matter how weird my week was or how long my day, I loved coming home to them at night, knowing they would always be here for me and knowing that I would always be here for them.

I leaned against the door frame as Bella made choo-choo noises and pushed Eric's train around the floor.

"Momma. Like dis." He grabbed the engine and pushed it while making the sounds louder, squealing out the noises. I covered my mouth and held my chuckle, but it must have slipped out. Bella looked up at me and smiled and I met her gaze.

I crawled down next to her and gave her a slow kiss as Eric continued to play.

"Mmmm. Hi."

"Hi." I gave her another quick kiss and ran my fingers through her hair as she hummed into my touch. "You're home early. I thought you would stay late to prepare for the fundraiser tonight. I stopped down at June's to get Eric, but she said you already picked him up."

"They didn't need me." She shrugged. "You look tired. Is everything okay?"

"Eh. Back to work after vacation. It's going to be a long week, even though it's only four days." I sighed as I ran my hand over her cheek. I didn't need to worry her with my crazy imagination.

"I know what you mean." She smiled and we quietly watched as Eric played and basked in our three year old son. It was a miracle he was here, after everything Bella went through when he barely existed.

My mind wandered back to the night she told me about him. I was such a different man then—hardly a shell of a person really. But she was everything to me and she gave me the greatest gift I could possibly imagine. Only to have her nearly swept away from me in the blink of an eye.

A cold chill ran up my spine as flashes of that night raced through my head.

The chase.

The helicopter.

The heartless eyes of my grandfather.

The blood seeping down her…

"I made lasagna. It's in the oven and should be done soon." She murmured, pulling me from my dark memory, and I snapped my head up.

"Mmmm. Lasagna. My favorite." I leaned in to kiss her and pushed the dark thoughts away. She was here, with me, safe. And we had Zoonie and Lucy on the way. My life was perfect.

"I thought cheesecake was your favorite." She teased.

"Favorite dessert…after you." I said lowly as I pulled her into my side. She blushed profusely and looked away. Feeling her next to me helped pull me from my thoughts. I was once again amazed at how I still desired her, every second of every day and even more than in the beginning. I didn't think it was possible, but coming home to her was the one sure thing to brighten my day.

We played with Eric a little longer. I tossed off my tie and jacket and eventually he had me chasing him around the condo acting as a pirate while Bella finished dinner.

It was Thursday night and we stayed in. The coming weekend was the fundraiser at the Met. I had attended the previous three with Bella rather than in disguise. I had to admit it was strange to attend with her when I previously went with my family or four years ago undercover. But it was also great. I got to see Bella in her element.

 _Not to mention we snuck away and repeated our office tryst each year_.

I smiled at the thought and looked up at Bella moving around in the kitchen. I had Eric in his high chair and ready to eat, but my mind was now on other things.

Bella was humming and swaying her hips to the Beatles on the I-Pod.

"What do you want to drink Zoonie?" I asked as I ruffled his hair and he settled in his seat.

"Milk!" He exclaimed.

I stepped into the kitchen just in time to catch Bella opening the oven. I groaned as she bent over to pull out the lasagna. Like always my body raced with a delicious fire and my mind went to much more inappropriate thoughts considering we were getting ready to sit down to dinner with our three year old son.

"Edward. What are you thinking about?" She smirked at me as she set the lasagna on top of the stove and turned around.

I knew she could tell by the dark look in my eyes and the way I set my jaw when I looked at her.

 _God she's beautiful._

Without another thought I stepped over and pressed her back against the counter.

"What do you think I'm thinking about?" I asked lowly.

"Hmmm. I think I can guess." She ran her hand down my side and my hip and brushed it against the front of my pants and I hissed.

"Liefje don't start something you can't finish right now." I warned her.

"Maybe I like it when I get you a little worked up." She gave me a devilish grin and I pulled her to me.

"You are a very dangerous creature." I murmured as I gripped her ass in my hands and bent down to taste her perfect lips.

My lips tingled from the contact and she wrapped her arms around my neck pulling me as close as possible with Lucy between us. I could feel my body warming from hers and swept my tongue across her lip until she opened and mine met hers. I was lost in her. I wanted nothing more than to taste my sweet Bella and forget about everything of the past week.

Our kiss deepened and soon enough we were both pressed tightly together moaning lightly as I snaked my hands now up to her hair and up and down her back.

"Daddy!"

I pulled away and sighed as I could see the dark look returned in Bella's eyes.

I kissed her again before stepping back.

"Later." I whispered.

"Mmmm." She hummed in agreement as her cheeks and her chest were flushed from our encounter. But I had to kiss her swollen lips one more time before leaving the kitchen.

I took a deep breath as I walked out to sit down by Eric and hand him his milk. Once Bella joined us, we chatted happily about our day and laughed as Eric had lasagna all over his face. He giggled as I made silly faces at him. Having dinner with my family just made the week wash away.

This was the life. This was what I always wanted, longed for, dreamed of before I met Bella.

The good life. As good as it gets.

After we finished dinner and I read a story to Eric to put him to sleep. As soon as I was done, I snuck into the bedroom to change out of my own work clothes and into something more comfortable—like nothing.

I sat down on the bed and removed my socks and rubbed my sore feet. It was still early, but I was hoping to coax Bella into bed and spend the rest of the night continuing what we started earlier.

I quickly finished undressing as I could hear Bella going through her nightly routine in the bathroom. As I tossed my clothes on the chair I sat back down on the bed in only my boxer briefs and tried to will away the tension of the last three days.

The water turned off and I heard the door click as I sat with my eyes closed on the side of the bed.

I could feel her in the room, as I always could. My body warmed and my muscles relaxed as the familiar hum of electricity surrounded me. Suddenly I felt her climb on the bed and I turned toward her.

"Don't turn around yet. I'm going to give you a back rub." She said lowly and kissed my neck.

"How did you know I needed one?" I sighed as my ever intuitive wife kneaded her fingers into my neck and shoulders.

"I always know Edward."

"God that feels good." I groaned as she pressed her hands up and down my shoulders, working the muscles and the stress from my body. My skin immediately erupted in warmth as her hands swept across me.

She pressed her lips over my lion tattoo and I shuddered a bit from the sensation. My head dipped forward as she worked me over, pushing, pressing, relieving my aching.

 _Well one kind of aching._

Because as the ache subsided from my neck and back, the fire in my stomach grew.

"What are you so stressed about Apollo? I can tell something's been bothering you all week." She finally asked quietly as she continued her ministrations.

I let out a breath, thinking about what I should tell her. I knew I should tell her everything, but I didn't want to worry her. She had enough to worry about with the upcoming fundraiser, keeping her own stress level down for the baby and I was probably just being paranoid anyway.

So I went with the obvious.

"Just the article and all the publicity. Have they been bothering you anymore?" I switched the focus to her.

"Not too bad. There were only a couple there today. I think after Jasper gave them the evil eye yesterday that made several of them back off."

"Jasper?"

"He met me at my car and walked me in and had a few… _words_ with the reporters on the way." I caught her inflection and couldn't help but be glad about it.

"Good."

"You didn't set that up did you?" She said accusingly as she pressed on a particularly tough knot in my shoulder blade and I arched my back a bit.

"No. But I'm glad he thought of it."

She hummed and continued working her way down my back as I thought about it. Actually having Jasper escort her in to and out of work wasn't a bad idea. Maybe I _would_ have to talk to him about that.

But of course Bella beat me to the punch.

"I know what you're thinking Apollo. I don't need Jasper and I told him as much yesterday. I can handle a few reporters." She huffed.

"I know you can Liefje but I worry about you." I started to turn around and she stopped me.

"Stay there." She commanded and turned me back. "And I'm fine. They aren't going to do anything and you know if they did they would be in the sights of one very pissed off agent." She was stern, but I could hear the smirk in her voice.

"You know it." I all but growled.

"Okay enough talking. I know what you need to relieve the rest of that tension." She whispered in my ear as she swept her hands down from my shoulder and across my chest. The backrub had instantly shifted into something else and I could feel it by the way her fingers were now sensually caressing me.

"Do you now?"

"Mmmhmm. You need…to let go." She nibbled at my ear and I clutched at her hands on my chest. I was already at full attention. Nothing would make me feel better than to lose myself in my wife tonight.

Her lips trailed along my neck and I moaned lightly as she sucked at the juncture of my shoulder. "To relax." She kissed and sucked. "To forget."

Before I knew it she pulled her hands from mine and I felt something that felt like silk on my cheek.

"What are you doing to me Mijn Vrouw?" I turned as she wrapped one of my ties around my head. Darkness enclosed me until I felt her sit on top of me and straddle my legs and push me back on the bed.

"Surprising you." She whispered in my ear. I instantly shuddered and a deep growl hummed in my chest.

"Hmmm. You always surprise me." My skin grew hot from her breath and I had to fight off the urge to pull away the blindfold already.

"Remember when you did this to me?" She asked lowly as she pressed her lips to my chest.

"Which time?" I smirked at her from behind my covered eyes.

She chuckled and I felt her shift over me. I groaned as I felt smooth leg brush against mine along with a bit of what felt like silk.

 _Fuck, I wonder what she's wearing._

My fingers instantly fisted into the silk at her hips. I slid them further down, hoping to get a mental picture of my sexy wife in my head, but as I reached for her thighs I felt her lift them from her body.

"Ah, ah, ah. No touching. At least not yet."

"Liefje." I grumbled. I hated the idea of not touching her beautiful body.

She wrapped her fingers around my hands and raised them above my head.

"Here, you can touch this for now."

I furrowed my brow. "The headboard?"

"Mmmm. You better hold on tight Agent Cullen."

 _Fuck._

I wrapped my fingers around the headboard as she trailed her lips down my chest. Her silky hair was following the pattern and my heart was hammering at the feel of it.

 _God the things this woman did to me._

In a second, in a moment, I was locked in her powers never wanting to leave.

She continued to kiss me as she massaged at the front side of my shoulders and down my chest. The feel of her hands on me without my vision made my body erupt in fire. Everything was more intense. Cutting off one of my vital senses—the one I relied on the most—was making me squirm in desperation. I could now smell something burning and the slightest hint of vanilla in the air. My skin was more sensitive to the touch and I twitched with each pass of her lips.

"Anxious Agent Cullen." She murmured into my chest and then flicked her tongue and grazed her teeth over my nipple. Goosebumps flew across my flesh.

"God Liefje. You're killing me." I groaned.

"Relax baby." She whispered and I tried to ease my muscles and simply enjoy her touch.

I felt her kiss her way down my stomach, my muscles flexing under the moist perfection. Every inch of me wanted to be inside her already, but at the same time I wanted to just stay lost in the feeling of her lips, her hands, her hair, her body against mine.

She slipped her fingers under my boxers and I lifted my hips as she pulled them down my body. I was now fully exposed to her and blindfolded. I could have everything off in a second, but I was also dying to know what she had planned for me.

"It looks like someone really needs to relieve some tension." She teased. Before I could respond her hand was on my cock stroking me with a firm grip.

"Jesus…" I thrust into her and gripped the headboard tighter as she pumped me.

"I think it's time we do something about that." Her voice was low and husky and without another word I felt myself engulfed in the heat of her mouth.

"Oh fuck, Bella!" It was ten times more intense without my sight. I could feel every bit of her tongue licking and sucking me as it made its way up and down my shaft. She moved to the tip and swirled it over my head before taking me all the way back in again. Her hair grazed my thighs and the feel of it rocketed to my nerve endings.

I was bursting with desire and I could already feel the slow coiling in my stomach. As much as I tried not to I thrust up into her and reflexively lifted as she took me deeper.

"God damn. I want to touch you Liefje." I groaned. But she only responded by working me harder.

It took everything I had not to rip off the blindfold and put my hands in her hair. But I was in sensory overload and I couldn't focus on anything except the wet heat and unbelievable feel of her mouth on me.

"Relax baby. We have hours. Let go." She whispered before licking me from the base to the tip and taking me back in again. Then she cupped my balls and grazed her finger across the soft patch of skin as she swallowed and I was instantly launched from a slow burning to a canon of fire.

"Shit Bella! Oh God, I'm coming…" I grunted and thrust up as she swallowed deeper, taking all of me in. I exploded into her mouth as my hands tightened on the headboard and it whined in protest.

Every muscle in my body tensed and then fell into a delicious settling. My breathing was labored and I could feel her kissing her way back up my body now that I was thoroughly relaxed.

"God I love you." I practically whimpered and she chuckled against my chest.

She pressed her body against me and leaned up to kiss me as I pulled her lower lip into my teeth. I could now feel the silk and lace against my entire body, and her full breasts pushing on my chest. Her hips flexed into me and I could already feel myself coming to life again. We stayed locked with her against me, her tongue caressing mine and my imagination running wild with what she was wearing and what was going to happen next.

At that moment I decided I had to see her.

In a flash I ripped off the tie and sat up, pulling her flush against me.

"Hey!" She shrieked and I gripped her hips.

"You are a naughty little devil." I murmured as I pushed her hair away from her shoulder and attacked her neck.

"Mmmm. But you love it." She ground against me, making me harder yet and I felt her breath hitch. I continued to grip her hips and started to rock her against me, trying to gain some friction.

"Damn right I do." I nipped at her and she laughed.

Then I realized I still hadn't seen what she was wearing yet and sat back as my eyes adjusted to the semi-lit room. I could now see three candles lit on the dresser and the room was clouded except for the light from the window and the candles.

It perfectly illuminated the sight before me. Bella was wearing a nighty made of sheer blue lace on the top. It pushed her delectable breasts up and made them all the more tantalizing.

My mouth watered at the sight of them.

Black silk flowed out from the top and swept over her growing midsection, but making my pregnant wife all the sexier. I wanted her all the time anyway, but when she was pregnant, it intensified the desire by a thousand percent.

I swept my hand over her voluptuous breasts, watching as her nipples puckered through the lace as I took her in. I continued up her collarbone to her neck until my hand was in her hair.

"Liefje you are so fucking sexy." The words were gravelly and deep from my chest.

"I'm glad you like it." She moaned and bit her lip as I rocked into her again.

"Like it?" I said incredulously. "Fuck. Come here." I pulled her to me and leaned down to brush my lips to hers and then trail them down her collarbone and over her nipple through the lace.

"Edward…" She let out a breathy gasp and I squeezed her ass with one hand as the other attended to her unoccupied breast.

Her hips instinctively flexed and grated against me and soon enough we were moving in rhythm, moaning and kissing and caressing every inch of one another.

"You have no idea what you do to me Liefje. I'm so hard it's maddening."

She smirked at me and I flipped her over and propped her up on the pillows as I gave her a devilish smile in return.

"I think it's time for someone else to grip the headboard." I whispered darkly as I traced my tongue up her neck and my hands up her arms until she had them wrapped around the wood slats.

Teasingly, I ran my fingers back down her arms, over her breasts, lightly circling her nipples and she shuddered and moaned as her head fell back against the pillows. I continued my trail until I met her wet center and I realized she wasn't wearing anything under the nighty.

"You really are a little devil tonight aren't you?" I said as I continued to kiss her and caress her with my one hand as I slowly stroked her with the other.

"Oh…yes. Just for you baby." She cried out as I plunged two fingers into her. She thrust up and met me as I slowly but tauntingly worked her to the edge.

"Please baby. Don't tease me." She finally begged and I was rock hard and so ready to be inside her.

"What was it you said before?" I asked as I slowly pulled my fingers out of her and lifted her legs to wrap around my waist. "You better hold on tight..." I repeated.

In a movement, I thrust into her and had to still for a second as I felt her shaking around me already. It was always like this with her, so hot, so tight, so fucking perfect.

"Ah. Oh God!" She cried out and I pulled back and thrust into her again. I could see her hands tense on the headboard and her head thrown back. I leaned down and sucked one of her nipples through the lace again as I pulled all the way out and thrust into her again.

"Oh…Edward!" She screamed as she erupted and shook beneath me.

But I didn't stop. Instead I set a pounding pace and reached up to wrap my fingers around hers as she lifted her legs and squeezed them against my rib cage. I could tell she was worked up and it wouldn't take much to get her to come again. The angle was so deep from the pillows it allowed me to reach that spot inside of her that had her coming undone in minutes, but without putting any pressure on the baby.

"Fuck Bella." I gritted my teeth, reveling in the feeling of having her wrapped around me entirely. She released her hands and clawed at my back as I grabbed the headboard for more leverage and thrust harder and faster.

"Yes. Baby, just like that." Her head was lolled back and her eyes shut tight as I felt her body tense, on the brink again.

"Bella look at me." Her eyes shot open and I was met with boiling espresso brown orbs as her mouth opened in silent exclamation.

"You feel fucking amazing Liefje. You always feel amazing to me."

"Edward." She whimpered and I could do nothing but crash my lips to hers and taste and feel every inch of her against me. She moaned into my mouth, her tongue twisting with mine until I released it.

I was so close and I knew I could get her there again, so I dropped one arm down and wrapped it around her back under the pillow arching her breasts up towards me as I pulled the lace down roughly. This time I pulled her nipple into my mouth and lightly bit down, and at once she squeezed impossible tight around me and screamed out my name as she came again.

The feeling of her gripping me caused me to unravel and I brought my lips back to her mouth as I grunted and spilled inside of her.

I kept one arm wrapped underneath of her as I brought the other to her hair, keeping her as close to me as possible. I just continued to kiss her until we were no longer moving but we lay against the pillows completely connected and sated.

At last I rolled to my side and pulled out of her, missing the warmth and the closeness, but keeping her in my arms to keep as much of the connection as possible.

"Feel better." She finally asked as she nuzzled at my neck and kissed below my ear.

I chuckled and brought my hand to her face, turning her so I could look into her beautiful eyes.

"Yeah. I must say I _love_ your surprises." She laughed as I smiled and bent down to brush my lips against hers. In no time, she hummed sleepily into me and pressed her head into my chest.

Once again I was amazed by just how good I had it. I couldn't get over how perfect she was for me and how she always knew exactly what I needed. Even after four years together she still amazed me.

I reached down to pull the covers over us and blew out the candles. Then I settled in and wrapped my arms around her securely.

"I love you Liefje. Goodnight."

"Mmmm. I love you too Apollo. Goodnight." I chuckled and kissed her head as I finally fell into a somewhat restful sleep.

*&^%$#

I woke up to find Bella fluttering around the room trying to get ready for work.

"Ugh. Stupid thing won't…zip." She huffed and I finally realized she was standing in front of the mirror struggling to get into her dress.

I glanced at the clock and realized it was only 7:00, but she must have been going in early to help get ready for the fundraiser.

I rubbed my eyes and threw the sheet off of me as I strode up behind her.

She huffed again and bit her lip as she pulled on the zipper and I had to hold back a laugh.

"Need some help?" My voice was still thick and heavy with sleep as I brushed her hair out of the way and slowly pulled the zipper up her back. I glanced at her in the mirror and as usual she looked sensational. The dress was dark pink and wrapped around her middle and then twisted under her breasts.

I kissed the back of her neck and put her hair back in place before pulling her into my arms. I wrapped one arm around her as I settled my other hand over Lucy and was rewarded with a kick. She hummed and closed her eyes and leaned back against me as she settled her hand over mine.

"You're going in early today?"

"Yeah. I will probably have to stay late too."

"Don't overdo it." I kissed her head and smelled her sweet strawberry scent before her eyes met mine in the mirror and she rolled them at me exaggeratedly.

"It's one day Edward. I'll be fine."

"I know. I just like to take care of you." I caressed her stomach and pulled her closer as I added, "both of you."

She gave me a smile and her eyes softened.

Suddenly I heard jabbering from across the hall and we both sighed realizing Eric was awake. Bella turned to go get him and I pulled her back and gave her a kiss on the lips before I stroked her cheek.

"I'll get him. You go ahead and get to work and I'll take care of it."

"Okay. I'll see you tonight." She kissed me back. "Love you."

"Love you too."

I watched her walk out and quickly threw on some shorts and went to Eric's room to get him ready for the day. Within the hour we were both showered and changed with breakfast in our stomachs and stepping on the elevator.

"Daddy. I go to the zoo today." He said excitedly as he clutched his little bag and bounced on my hip.

"You do? What are you going to see at the zoo?" I questioned as we descended the ten floors down to our daycare lady's place.

"Wions, and Zebwas and Bewrs and…" He continued on as I just smiled at his excitement. He was quite smart for a three year old…well at least what I knew of three year olds. But his intuitiveness and knowledge continued to amaze me. I was sure he got it from Bella.

We stopped at the tenth floor and I knocked on the door to June's place. We found June shortly after we moved into our new condo. By a stroke of luck one day we were coming back from an appointment and June was on the elevator with us. She had two other little kids in tow and we began talking only to find out that she was an in-home daycare provider and had an opening for the following summer.

After checking out her references and certifications, and receiving nothing but glowing responses, we decided it would be a great fit. In the end it worked out perfectly because we didn't have to drive anywhere and it allowed us more time at home with Eric in the morning and evenings. Not to mention June was like a third grandmother to the kids she watched. She was a retired elementary teacher whose deceased husband was an investment banker. She had been widowed for two years and lived all alone in her condo when she decided she wanted to be around kids but didn't want to go back to teaching. So she started watching a few kids from other couples in the building. It was great because she actually taught the kids learning games and did arts and crafts and took them out on nice days. We loved her, Eric loved her and it made going back to work much easier on Bella.

"Edward. Good morning, come on in." She smiled brightly as I stepped into her condo and Eric immediately squirmed out of my arms.

"Brett!" He squealed as he ran off to find his playmate.

"It doesn't take long for them to form their own friendships and move on does it." She smiled as the two boys played in the living room.

"No it doesn't, unfortunately." I laughed. She just nodded, knowing how I felt.

"Oh by the way, I was going to tell you yesterday that we were at the park on Wednesday and a friend of your father's stopped me."

"A friend of my father's?"

"Yes, he said he worked with him at Reycon and he knew you and recognized Eric."

 _Who worked with my father that would know me and my son?_

Suddenly, the hairs on the back of my neck began to stand at attention and a cold chill ran down my spine. I shook a dark thought from my head. But I kept my composure, always the cool agent, never showing weakness or concern.

"Did you catch his name?" I asked nonchalantly as my eyes traveled back to my son.

"He didn't say. He just said he knew you. Anyhow, I thought you might know who it was." She smiled.

"Sorry I don't. I'll have to ask my father though. Thanks for mentioning it."

I gave Eric a kiss on the head good-bye as he smiled his radiant Bella-like smile at me and my breath caught for a moment.

I tried to stay as calm as possible as I left June's for work.

But as soon as I hit the elevator, my mind was racing with what June said.

 _Is someone watching our son?_

 _Who could know that June was our daycare provider?_

 _Who would know my father, Eric and I that wouldn't give their name?_

The questions spun through my head and my pulse picked up as I stepped out of our building and began walking to the train. I couldn't help but glance around me, my senses heightened in an all too familiar awareness to me yet again.

The events of the last week again came flooding back to me and I was no longer thinking I was only being paranoid. Now I was suspicious, _damn suspicious._

I needed to talk to someone else about this, and I knew the perfect person to help me put things in perspective.

*&^%$#

"E! Good to see you man. Well, even though I just saw you last weekend." McCarty gripped my hand tightly as he slapped my back and I winced.

"Fuck Em, go easy on a man. I'm not in the field anymore or as young as I used to be."

He rolled his eyes. "Whatever man. Like you couldn't still take me in three seconds flat."

I chuckled because he was probably right. In fact, going to work out is exactly what I needed right now. I called McCarty as soon as I got on the train to see if he could meet me to box over lunch. I knew he would help me sort through everything.

We changed into our sweats and put on our boxing gloves and sparring helmets.

"So what's going on? Cause I know you, you don't want to call me to box unless something's bothering you." He gave me a knowing look.

I started warming up on the punching bag as I mulled over his comment.

"Something weird happened last weekend."

"When?"

"On the beach, the day after the 4th, you guys were over at Rose's parents. A guy approached me."

"Okay." McCarty raised his eyebrow at me and started his series on his bag.

"Anyway, he said some things…some weird things."

I relayed to him the conversation I had with the man on the beach as well as the article and the comment the reporter made.

"Yeah, I saw that. I don't know why they're bringing it up again." He shook his head.

"I know. Oomph." I began to kick the bag, feeling the adrenaline pulse through my veins and letting the contact take out some of my frustration. Sweat was pouring down my face and I could feel the burn in my muscles. It was electric. It was just what I needed.

"So you think this guy on the beach was talking about Volturi or who?"

"I don't know. But then our daycare person said someone approached her at the park…with Eric. And he said he knew me and my Dad."

"Did he give his name?"

"No."

I stopped and gave McCarty a steely look as I grabbed a drink of water.

"You're not thinking what I am, are you?" He blew out a breath as he finished his series.

 _Kebi_

"I don't know. I can't imagine why he would come back." I said as I moved on to my next series.

"He'd be stupid to. I wouldn't worry about it too much right now. But keep your ears and eyes open and I will as well."

"Yeah I will. But that's the thing, you're not with the Bureau anymore. And I'm not as tapped in as I used to be."

"So maybe you need to get tapped in." He said as he hit his bag.

I pondered his suggestion. McCarty had a point. I wasn't going to find anything out unless I worked some of my sources and did some digging.

We finished our work out and hit the showers since I had training and target practice for the rest of the afternoon. I let the water pour over me and wash away the grime of not only our boxing session but also my week. I had never been in this position. I was always in control. I always had the upper hand, even in the worst situations, even when Bella was taken.

For the first time in my life I didn't have a plan. I had been enjoying my life for so long that what…I got lazy? Complacent?

As the water warmed my sore muscles and I scrubbed the soap over my chest, I looked down at the sun on my left pec and the words on my right.

 _Mijn Zon, Mijn Zoon_. They were everything to me. _Everything._

Fear that I hadn't felt in over three years began to set in and I had to fight to pushy it away. I wouldn't let anything happen to them. I couldn't. It wasn't and option.

In that moment, I immediately resolved to take back control. I had to. Because if there was one thing I was certain of more than anything in my life, I knew I couldn't live without them, couldn't _breathe_ without them. I knew I had to be their protector and do anything possible to keep them safe.

With my resolution, my thoughts took me back to my conversation with Fortnight yesterday…

" _Director Fortnight please." I said as I closed my door and put on my "Do Not Disturb" sign._

" _Who's calling please?"_

" _Tell him it's Special Agent Cullen in New York."_

" _Of course SA Cullen, one moment."_

 _I sat down in the chair and ran my fingers through my hair as I waited for him to pick up._

" _Cullen. It's been a long time. What can I do for you?"_

 _Of course he was chipper and pleasing. After I had it out with him at the end of the last mission, he had been more than…amenable to my demands when I needed something._

" _Peter. It appears you've been keeping something from me."_

" _Now what might that be…Edward?"_

 _I laughed humorlessly and made him sweat for a minute. He might be the Director, but I no longer worked under him._

" _I heard recently that you've started a new program down there. Something you want to tell me about?"_

" _Ah…yes. Cullverten. We've been very pleased with the results so far."_

" _So I hear." I muttered. "Anyhow, what are your plans for this program?"_

" _Well we just finished with our first set of graduates. They're impressive…nothing like you of course. But we need agents like this. Ones who are highly trained and have advanced skills, ones who who will do anything…you know what I mean."_

 _I caught his intonation and sighed internally. He was still pissed I decided not stay on as an undercover, as their most coveted assassin. So what? Now they were just going to make a fleet of them?_

" _I see. Well, I was actually calling because I wanted to know what types of assignments you have them on."_

 _He chuckled dryly before he responded. "Don't tell me you met Agent Biers already? Of course he emulates you from what the trainers told him and requested to be in New York. He's a damn fine agent. He could learn a lot from you if you would give it a chance."_

 _This time I sighed outwardly. "Peter. I don't want to be anyone's mentor. And I don't want to go back out in the field. But I am concerned about multiple men like me out there. They need to be monitored and they need more time between missions."_

" _Edward. You were in a very precarious situation, a very unique one. Yet, you handled everything exceptionally well. There's no reason to believe these agents won't do the same."_

" _No. But that depends on the types of assignments you have them on as well." I finally got to my point—what I really wanted to know was whether there was some big mission going down that these agents were specially trained for and that was the reason for this new "Cullverten" program._

" _Are you fishing for something Agent Cullen?" Peter asked smoothly._

" _Just trying to make you aware of some of the dangers they could be facing."_

" _It's not something in particular if that's what you're getting at." He sighed. "But if it is, you know I won't hesitate to include you in it…" He trailed off. The suggestion hung out there like a loose sail in the wind. It was just waiting to be taken a hold of._

" _I'm not going back Peter."_

" _We'll see about that."_

I shut of the now lukewarm water and changed into jeans and a plain black tee. As I slipped the shirt over my head I caught a glimpse of my tattoos once again. Soon Lucy's would join Eric's and Bella's on my chest and I would have another reason to stay focused, to stay committed to my family and to protecting them. For that reason, I couldn't relent on finding out just what the strange happenings of the last week meant and whether Fortnight was really inkling at something or simply trying to lay the groundwork to get me back in the field…someday.

*&^%$#

BANG! BANG! BANG!

BANG! BANG! BANG!

I dropped the gun and pressed the lever to bring my target all the way back to me. I was still lost in thought from earlier. My training session with the field agents went as expected and now we were each doing target practice. I didn't need it; I just mostly wanted to blow off steam.

Just as the target was approaching I could feel someone behind me and I turned to look at them.

"Agent Cullen. That's some impressive shooting."

Biers eyed my target which had three shots right between the eyes and then three directly into the heart.

I simply nodded at him as I pulled the paper from the catch and marked my scores down on the sheet.

"You all finished Agent Biers?" I looked up at him as he fidgeted next to me.

 _What was it with this kid?_

"Yes. I was hoping you could show me some technique."

"On?"

"Breath control. I mean. You're the best shot I've ever seen."

 _Again with the flattery._

"Look ki…Agent Biers. I don't know if you requested to be here or if Fortnight put some kind of idea in your head, but I don't want to be anyone's mentor. Just practice. That's all I can tell you. And don't get so caught up in this job. It's not as glamorous as they paint it to be."

His eyes were wide as I put my Glock in my holster and bent over to grab my duffle. I knew I was being an ass, but I really didn't care. I had a life, a life I adored and wanted to protect. I had the most wonderful wife and child a man could imagine and another one on the way. I didn't need this. I didn't need a protégé or someone trying to talk me into going back in the field. And I certainly didn't need praise for what I _had_ been…for the dark, skeleton of a man that I used to be.

"Have a good weekend Biers."

Biers simply nodded at me with a stunned expression and I threw my duffle over my shoulder and put on my aviators as I left the building. My vow to protect the things important to me was going into action right now. I was going to find out just what the shit was that was spinning around me for the last week and exactly _what_ or _who_ might be laying in the weeds.

As I headed for home, back to my Bella, my Zoonie and the new life I created and wanted nothing more than to keep, I dialed up a number and put my plan into action.

"SA Morgan. It's Cullen. I need to you to look into something for me."

 **XXXX**


	3. Chapter 2- The Old and the New

**_Chapter Two: The Old and the New_**

 ** _"_** ** _Hush" by Deep Purple_**

 ** _~Bella Cullen~_**

"Good Morning Samantha." I smiled and greeted our new secretary.

"Good Morning Mrs. Cullen." She said shyly.

"Please, it's Bella." I rolled my eyes. "I feel like I'm sixty if you call me Mrs. Cullen." I laughed.

"Of course…Bella. Do you need anything before the meeting?"

"No, I'm good, but thank you."

I walked the rest of the way back to my office. The interns were scurrying around doing the busy work I assigned to them. They were here early as well because they didn't want to work on Saturday—funny how that could motivate them. Maybe becoming a mother made me stricter than I used to be, but after my set of interns two years ago I had enough with their crap and decided to get a little tougher. Today the interns were in early and had to stay late. They needed to realize that a job didn't always get done between the hours of eight and five and if they wanted to work in our department, there were certain times of the year they had to pitch in a bit more. Most of them understood just fine. It was always the ones like Lauren Mallory who were the problems.

 _But at least I was rid of her now anyway._

I placed my laptop on my desk and sat behind it and smiled. My life had changed so much in the last few years I almost couldn't believe it. Across my desk were photos and mementos of the milestones I had passed. It held, a picture of Edward and I on the beach on our wedding day, the first picture of Edward, Eric and I together, several of Eric as a baby and toddler and of course one of the entire Cullen family as well as the entire Swan-Clearwater clan.

My life was perfect.

Then why couldn't I shake the strange eerie feeling I had been getting again lately. I couldn't put my finger on it. I only knew that I hadn't felt it in over four years. Not since that summer. Not since _then_.

But I just pushed it aside. I was sure the uneasiness came from the recent article about Edward's grandfather and the subsequent press coverage that followed. I should be used to the reporters by now. I never realized what marrying one of New York's elites might entail. Edward loathed it more than anything, but I soon came to find out that every event we attended or special occasion that was had often involved some sort of "social" coverage. I quickly learned to smile, grab his arm and simply try to steer clear of any questions. Not that I could provide them with anything anyway. But after the fallout of Jan's company and Carlisle having to deal with everything, we had more than our fair share of reporters sneaking around.

In the end, it all came down to one thing. They were nosy. Pure and simple. They couldn't believe that the rest of the family wasn't involved and they surely couldn't believe that Carlisle had nothing to do with it all. But we just persevered, as a family, and, as any family would do, we stuck together. I truly felt as though I gained a second mother and father in Esme and Jasper and Alice were the closest things I had to a brother and sister again.

I quickly pulled up my email and began preparations for the final program the following night. Just as I was about to go out and check on the interns I had a new message pop up.

 _Lunch?_

It was from Rosalie and I smiled.

Rather than responding, I decided to simply call her.

"Rose McCarty."

"Rose. It's Bella."

"Bella! Wow that was fast. You must have gotten my message."

"I did. I was just calling because I don't know if I can do lunch. We're doing last minute preparations for the fundraiser tomorrow."

"Oh, I completely forgot about that." Rose sighed. "Well what if I bring you lunch? You'll have to take a break at some point right?"

"That sounds great Rose. What time will you be here? Do you want me to see if Jasper wants to join us too?"

"No. Let's just do a girl thing. There's something I want to discuss with you."

I furrowed my brow. _What could Rose need to talk about? I just saw her the past weekend._

"Okay. How about 12:00? I'll leave your name with security."

"Great. I'll pick up subs. See you then."

"Bye Rose." I smiled into the phone as I sat up from the desk. Suddenly Lucy gave me a good kick and I put my hand over my stomach.

"What do you think Lucy? What do you think Aunt Rose needs to tell us?" I smiled as I rubbed the spot and glanced at my photos again. I couldn't wait for our little girl to join us. I knew Edward was excited, but a little more scared this time. I hear the guys teasing him about having a daughter on the Fourth of July and couldn't help but chuckle. He really didn't know what he was in for. But I was positive she would have him wrapped around her little finger before the suave agent even knew what to do about it.

"Oh yes Lucy. Daddy's in for a bit of surprise isn't he?" I smiled and shut my laptop as I grabbed the last round of assignments and made my way out of the office. I effectively left any uneasiness and stress behind as I glanced at my photos again and walked out to do the job I loved.

*&^%$#

"So how is Ethan?" I asked as I slid into my chair in the conference room.

"He's great. Finally sleeping through the night and just…" Rose trailed off dreamily. I smiled in response. I never thought I would see the day Rosalie McCarty would get giddy and wistful about kids.

I guess we were similar that way. I never thought much about having kids until I was pregnant with Eric. But having Edward's child…our child, who was created out of so much love was the greatest thing in the world to me. As much as I loathed the actual process of being pregnant, I loved Eric to pieces and I couldn't wait until Lucy was here.

"He's a cutie Rose, but of course how couldn't he be."

"Well." She sighed almost nervously. "I hope his brother or sister takes after him…"

"What do you mean…Rose?" I raised my eyebrows at her and she just nodded.

"Seriously!" I all but shrieked and leaned over to give her a hug. I knew how much trouble she and Emmett had getting pregnant the first time, so this was unexpected.

"That's amazing…Emmett's going to be so excited…but when?"

"Yeah." She smiled. "After all that…but I just hope Emmett's okay with it."

"Oh Rose, I'm sure he'll be ecstatic. Didn't you say he wanted more kids?"

She shrugged and looked down. "You know how it is with a newborn, and I just went back to work and we're finally getting schedules down and…well, I honestly didn't know if it would happen again. I mean we had so much trouble the first time and then it was like nothing. Why was it so hard before you know?" She finally blew out a breath.

"Sorry I'm rambling." She muttered.

"Rose, I'm sure Emmett is going to be so happy. I mean were you trying or…?"

She shook her head. "No, in fact we just thought because we were older now and because it took so long the last time that why prevent it." She shrugged. "But I never expected this."

"What's really bothering you Rose?" I asked quietly, staring into her nervous expression.

"How am I going to do it Bella? Two babies in just over a year!" She cried.

"Rose. I'm sure it seems daunting, I can't imagine. But you are the strongest person I know and I'm sure you will figure it out. And I know Emmett will be with you every step of the way." I squeezed her hand. It was so odd to see Rose let her guard down at all or voice her concerns about something. She always put up such a tough exterior.

"Thanks Bella. I think it's the hormones still." She joked and I smiled.

"So when did you find out?" I asked excitedly.

"Yesterday. I needed to tell someone, but I was so freaked I didn't tell Emmett. I mean I know you're right but it's just crazy!" She exclaimed.

"I bet you would be surprised about Emmett." I patted her hand again and thought about the things Edward told me. Emmett had trouble confiding in anyone but with everything he and Rose went through the first time. But he opened up to Edward. He really wanted to be a father and felt like he was putting too much pressure on Rose. Yet at the same time, he was trying hard to get her to understand that even if they didn't have any kids, she was all he would need. It was a double-edged sword.

For that reason, I knew he would be ecstatic about another baby, regardless of the timing.

Rose and I continued to talk and I thought about having our newest addition so soon. I rubbed my hand over my belly, knowing our little girl was in there. As much as I already loved her and wanted her, I remembered how much work it was when Eric was a baby. I couldn't imagine having another one when he was only a year old.

"How have your interns been this summer? Not the troubles you used to have right?"

I rolled my eyes at her. "No, thank God. That was horrible two years ago. Fucking Lauren Mallory." I muttered under my breath and Rose chuckled.

"Yeah I don't envy you that. My mother said she saw her mother at a luncheon last week. Apparently she was going on and on about Lauren and how she was graduating from Columbia in December and she's looking for a job. I should warn you, she mentioned something about trying to get back on at the Met."

"She didn't?" I said shockingly.

Rose nodded with an intense look. "I wanted to tell you so you could watch your back Bella. I don't trust the Mallorys as far as I could throw them."

I thought about Rose's warning. I hoped I wouldn't have to deal with the Mallorys again. Kitty and Bernard thought their daughter was all sunshine and rainbows when she was really piss and vinegar.

Two summers ago we had a set of interns who were more experienced than usual. Most of them had been with us for more than one or two summers and because of that they thought they knew everything. I decided to put them to the test. We had a special event for a new exhibit and I assigned each of them a very specific portion of the program. Of course some of the boys and Lauren Mallory decided they wanted to take it to the next level. They lined up inappropriate pieces for the auction and put subtle messages in the program guides. I caught it all of course, only days before the event, and had to rush to get everything changed and prepared.

When I questioned each of them about it afterward they all denied any wrongdoing and wouldn't fess up as to who was the mastermind behind the entire scheme. But I knew exactly who it was.

Lauren Mallory.

Lauren had caused other problems for me personally. Every event Edward attended with me she fawned over him and threw herself at him. Apparently her mother knew Edward's parents and the Whitlocks quite well. Esme never said anything outrightly bad about Kitty Mallory, but she also didn't put forth anything good.

Then one night Esme, Alice and I were up late after dinner and the kids were fast asleep. The boys were in Carlisle's study and Alice and I got Esme going on a few bottles of wine. I found out that Kitty Mallory always had a thing for Carlisle and was rather bold about it. She was sure Kitty got her daughters to chase after her sons as well, even though they were seven and eleven years their juniors.

Needless to say once all the pieces came together, I knew it was Lauren Mallory behind everything. I told Mr. Banner either we fired her or I would make her life a living hell and make her want to leave. Of course the Mallorys insisted the entire thing was my fault. Banner had to smooth the way with the Mallorys and "let" Lauren go. Of course they put up a big story about her needing more time for school. I was just pissed she got away with it.

I finished my lunch as Rose and I chatted a bit more. I wasn't relishing in the idea of that old pain in the butt making her way back into my life. I was almost glad I would only be coming back part-time after Lucy was born. It would be less time I would have to deal with her.

"Well Bella. I better go. I need to figure out a way to break the news to Emmett." Rose smiled as she got up and threw her garbage away.

"I'm sure he's going to be thrilled no matter what Rose." I gave her a quick hug and we said our good-byes, promising to see each other tomorrow night at the fundraiser.

I walked back to my office and pondered over the recent Lauren Mallory news. I wasn't going to let it ruffle me. I had more important things to worry about. Hopefully I could talk to Banner and he would try to get her placed in another department. I quickly grabbed the finished pieces for the new Santorini exhibit and walked out to help set up for the Fundraiser.

The afternoon flew by as it usually did in preparation for any event. It was late and I was hungry as I hadn't eaten anything since lunch and I was on my feet most of the afternoon.

After we finished putting up the last of the new pieces in the new collection, we closed it down for the night. I was ready to go home and spend some time with my boys.

"Hey Bella, are you heading out?"

"Yeah Jazz, you?"

"Yeah, I'll walk you out."

I thought of something then and raised an eyebrow at him. "You haven't talked to Edward this week have you?" I inquired.

"No, why?"

"Hmpf. Because of the way you acted with the reporters I thought maybe he said something to you."

"As much as I know your husband and my brother-in-law can be a bit…overprotective." I snorted and he shook his head. "I would do that anyway, and no, he didn't ask me to."

"Good. Even though I am as big as a house, that doesn't mean I can't fend off a few reporters."

"I know Bella, but they shouldn't be hassling you. They shouldn't be around at all." Jasper furrowed his brow and I thought about his reaction.

"Have they been bothering Alice too?"

"Yes. And the other morning when she was taking Soph and Syd to the sitters one all but cornered her. I was pissed when I found out."

I saw Jasper's eyes flash with fire and I knew not to say much more. Jasper was so even keel, so laid back all the time. But the one thing he got riled up over was his wife and daughters.

"Well, it will get better and go away soon. It always does." I shrugged and tried to act nonchalant about it.

We stepped into my office to grab my bag and shut off the lights. I noticed a note on my desk. I quickly picked it up to see if it was something last minute for tomorrow.

 _Bella-_

 _Maggie Carlton called for you from the Post. She said she was a former employee and to call her back._

 _Samantha_

Maggie?

I hadn't spoken or thought of Maggie in years. She was our receptionist for a short time about three years ago but once she finished her schooling she became a reporter for the Post.

At once it dawned on me. She was probably trying to work an inside contact to get information from me on Edward's family. Well I wasn't biting.

I threw the note in the garbage and finally grabbed my stuff and locked up my office. Jasper walked me to my car before climbing in his own to head home.

As I pulled into the condo building only minutes later I quickly climbed out of the Range Rover and threw my bag over my shoulder. The car beeped as I locked it and I walked to the elevators.

Suddenly I felt like I was being watched. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up and a chill ran down my spine. I hadn't had that feeling in a long time and I didn't like it. I knew it too well.

I quickly glanced around and noticed no one was in the parking garage.

"You're just being ridiculous Bella." I muttered under my breath.

The elevator doors opened and I stepped inside. But as the doors closed, a hand flew in to stop the elevator.

"Oh!" I put my hand over my mouth reflexively. I was still a bit apprehensive about elevators anyway, but the sudden movement made me all the more jumpy.

"Sorry." A man with dark brown hair and dark eyes stepped into the elevator and I moved to the side. He pressed the number for the eleventh floor and I tried to determine if I had ever seen him before. He didn't look familiar to me and at the same time, I felt like I should know him from somewhere.

I stared at the numbers above the door and for some reason held my breath. I could feel his eyes on me and it made me uncomfortable. Finally the elevator stopped on eleven and I let out a breath as he stepped off.

But before the door closed I heard him murmur good night to me.

"Mrs. Cullen." He turned as the doors closed and gave me a piercing stare and my breath caught again.

 _What the fuck? How did he know me?_

My hands began trembling and I quickly pressed the button for twenty as the elevator rose again. I knew I was probably just being paranoid. He likely met Edward and knew what floor we lived on. But I knew I never met him before.

Before I could let my mind run away with me the elevator opened to our floor and I stepped into the hall to unlock the door. It was nice to have an additional line of security even though no one else lived on our floor.

As I wiggled the keys I heard giggling from the other side and feet pattering across the floor.

"Eric just wait." I heard Edward's voice cautioning him and I smiled.

I slowly opened the door to be met with a flash of sandy blonde hair and our three year old son tackling my legs.

"Momma!"

"Eric!" Edward simultaneously grabbed my arm and scolded him for knocking me off balance. "You have to be careful with Momma, buddy." He ruffled his hair and rolled his eyes.

Finally he looked at me and his expression softened.

"Hi Liefje. I'm glad you're home." He leaned in to kiss me sweetly and I hummed in response.

"Hi." I smiled.

"Hi baby, are you excited to see me?" I smiled down at Eric as I set down my bag and purse and ruffled his hair. He put his arms up to have me hold him and I shook my head.

"Sorry Zoonie, but I can't lift you right now. You're a little too big for Momma." I said as I bent down to come to his level. "But I will take a hug."

He threw his arms around my shoulders and I smiled as I pulled him close. I looked up to see Edward smiling down at us and our eyes locked.

 _My boys._

"I made a roast if you're hungry." He helped me up and then picked up Eric to walk us to the living room.

"Starving? What time did you get home?" I noticed he was wearing a black t-shirt and jeans. He must have had training today.

"I took off early. Training was done and I picked up Eric around 4:00."

I glanced at the clock noticing it was close to 8:00. I always lost track of time when we were preparing for the fundraiser.

"Why don't you go change and I'll heat it up for you and get this one to a bath." He tickled Eric, who screeched and giggled.

"I don't need a bath Daddy."

"Yes you do cause you're a smelly little boy and all smelly little boys need baths." Edward teased him.

"I'm not smewwy." Eric responded and I smiled at them as they walked toward the kitchen.

I walked to the master bedroom and quickly changed out of my dress and heels into some yoga pants and a tank top. I couldn't wait to get out of my dress clothes at the end of the day, especially when I was pregnant. I washed my face and hands and pulled my hair in a ponytail just enjoying the feel of my skin able to breathe again.

As I walked out to the kitchen I noticed a plate of food in the warmer and quickly grabbed it and took it to the table. I ate in silence, enjoying the peace and quiet with only the small interruption of a giggle or Edward's low laugh making its way down the hallway. Once I finished and cleaned off the dishes I walked to Eric's bedroom to help tuck him in for the night.

"Fee, Fi, Fo, Fum, I smell the blood of an Englishman…" I smiled as I listened to Edward read Jack and the Beanstalk to Eric. He was curled up in bed with him as Eric's eyes were focused on the book and he clutched one hand on Edward's shirt and the other around his blanket.

Before long his eyes were heavy and his breathing deepened. Edward gave him a kiss on the head and tucked him in. I walked over to do the same and felt Edward's arms wrap around me from behind and his lips on my shoulder. He gently rubbed his hand over my stomach as we stood there for a moment simply awing at our sleeping little boy.

Finally Edward grabbed my hand and we quietly closed the door as we walked back out to the living room.

He seemed tense and serious again tonight. I couldn't put my finger on it, but I knew something was bothering him. I also knew that I had to patiently wait until he was ready to tell me. That was just how he worked.

I curled into my spot on the sofa and soon Edward joined me with a glass of Ketel One for himself and a lemonade for me. He pulled my feet into his lap and started working on the heels of my feet.

"Mmmm. Baby that feels amazing." He smirked at me but didn't say anything. I could tell he was forming his thoughts.

After a few minutes, he blew out a breath and took a big drink from his glass.

"I'm surprised you can drink that already after Sunday night." I joked trying to relieve a bit of the tension and give him a bit of an opening.

He chuckled and shook his head. "I know." He said but then his smile faded just as quickly.

"There's something I need to tell you." He said as he focused on my feet again.

I didn't say anything. I just nodded and let him continue.

"Remember when we were at the beach on Sunday and the man with the dog came running toward us."

"Yeah." I furrowed my brow and wondered what that had to do with anything.

"Well, he said some strange things to me and it made me a bit…apprehensive."

I furrowed my brow at him and leaned over to grab his hand and stop him for a moment.

"Okay?"

"He said some things about a 'runaway train' and 'reigning in rookies and how they're not like the old guys'. Then he said something about a 'jailbreak" it just seemed a little weird."

"Edward that doesn't sound so bad." I offered.

"Fuck. I know but a few other things happened too." He looked at me and I saw a dark look in his eyes, one I was all too familiar with but hadn't seen in over three years. It was a flash of the haunted look he had about him when we first met, so much different from the man he was now. But I always knew that dark agent, the assassin, was still deep down inside.

"What other things?" I asked determinedly.

He blew out a breath and grabbed my hand as he swallowed the rest of his drink with the other. He went on to tell me about drinking with his father on Sunday night and trying to both pump him for information and get reassurance from him. Then he explained that his senses were even more heightened after the article and all the reporters this week—specifically the one that stopped him yesterday. Finally he mentioned the new program at Quantico and some of the information he found out about the new agents.

But the thing that struck me most was June's interaction with the man at the park. A shiver went down my spine that someone had come so close to our son. Whether the man was a true family friend, or someone bad as Edward feared, the thought made me nauseous.

"Edward, do you think…I mean do you have any idea who the man might have been."

He shook his head and ran his hand through his hair nervously. "I don't know. I just know I have a bad feeling about it. All of these things have come together at once and it just doesn't sit right with me."

"What did Garrett say?"

He gave me a look out of the corner of his eye and I knew it wasn't good.

"He's going to look into it and he's going to have a few of his field agents that are under right now work a few contacts and find out if anyone has been poking around."

"Well that's good." I said without thinking. "I just wish you would have told me all of this sooner." I said sternly.

"Liefje I…" He started to explain but I raised my eyebrows at him.

"I'm sorry. I just wanted to make sure I wasn't being paranoid. I didn't want to worry you for no reason with everything else going on." His eyes immediately went to my stomach and I instinctively rubbed my hand over it.

"I can understand that. But you have to tell me everything from here on out. No excuses." My voice was stern but I gave him a small smile and grabbed his hand as I said it.

"I will. I just…I'm angry at myself for getting…I don't know…complacent. I feel like I should have seen this coming or should have known something."

"Edward, you can't fix everything. And nothing has happened, but we know now and we know to keep our eyes and ears open." I reassured him. Then suddenly something popped in my head. I mulled it over for a minute until Edward looked at me intently.

"What is it Liefje?"

"I just." How could I explain the sixth sense feeling that I got?

"Tonight when I got in the elevator there was strange man in there. I've never met him before but he called me Mrs. Cullen. He got off on the eleventh floor, do you know him?"

Edward's expression darkened once again and he shook his head.

"I'm sure it was nothing. He probably knew me from somewhere and I just didn't recognize him."

Edward thought for a moment before he scrubbed his hands down his face and let out a deep sigh.

"God. I wish we didn't have to think about this. I wish we never had to look over our shoulders and we could just forget about everything." He grumbled.

"I know. But you know what. I have you and Eric and we have more resources than we can imagine. It'll be fine."

"I just don't want to think about it anymore. All I have done is think about it all week." He sighed dejectedly.

"Well, I'll tell you what Agent Cullen. What do you say you take me back to the bedroom and I'll help you forget your woes for the night?" I smirked as I wrapped my arms around his neck.

He gave me a small smile and I knew I had to bring him back from that place. It was the place he always went when he started to worry about something. He pulled me tightly to him and pressed his lips to my forehead.

"Bella you just have to know that you and Eric and this little one." He rubbed his hand over my stomach. "You are the world to me. I can't let anything happen to you."

"I know. Nothing is going to happen to us. I'm always going to be here for you." I kissed him tenderly and he sighed into the kiss. I could feel the tension leaving his body yet again as he relieved his stresses and fears.

"How about I provide a distraction?" I said as I trailed my lips from his and down his neck.

"I think I like your way of distracting me." He said lowly as he leaned in and placed a kiss under my ear.

I slowly ghosted my lips up to his jaw and finally met his mouth again. Soon enough he lifted me up and set me down only to grab my hand and lead me back to the bedroom. And just like before, just like always, we lost ourselves in one another for the night, focusing on being close to one another and just forgetting about everything else.

*&^%$#

Saturday morning came all too quickly. Now that I was married and we had Eric, I reveled in my weekends. I didn't used to care about going to work on Saturdays, but now my time was much more precious to me. After a quick breakfast and a kiss for both my boys I was off to the Met for our final preparations.

Edward and Eric were going to spend the day together, a little quality father-son time. I think Grandpa was even going to be in the mix as Edward mentioned something about going to Esme and Carlisle's to watch the baseball game later. Esme was going to be busy getting ready for the event with Alice.

I pulled into the Met and turned off the car. I was relieved to see there were no reporters today. I guess they didn't realize I would be working on Saturday.

The red carpet was already laid out for tonight and I quickly shuffled into the main hall to get started. We were double checking the last of the displays, setting out the programs for tonight and strategically placing new pieces to draw the crowd out and hopefully draw out their checkbooks as well.

Jasper and a few of the guys from the research department were finalizing all of the dates and names on the cards as I checked for stupid things like grammar and spelling. But one little mistake could have a potential donor complaining and we didn't want to slip at all.

I quickly worked my way through the new pieces from Santorini. The exhibit was donated by someone new. I wasn't here for the meeting when Mr. Banner announced it, but I knew it was special. Santorini was a little island off the coast of Greece that had been all but destroyed by a volcano centuries ago. It was a highly civilized culture for its time period and theorists believed Santorini, or Thera, as it was called, was the basis for the story of Atlantis. Archeologists had been excavating it for over forty years and now they were finally releasing some of the artifacts for a touring exhibit. We were lucky to get it.

"Hey Bella. Did you double check all the cards in here?" Jasper walked up to me looking tired and ready to go home as well.

"Yeah. I just did. I think we're good to go."

"Good, because whoever donated this is a piece of work apparently."

"Who was it? I was at a doctor's appointment the day we had our meeting."

"Some Brazilian financier. I guess he's new to New York but not new to the business world. I'd never heard of him before."

"What's his name?"

"I don't know his first name. He only goes by J. J. Frederico."

I shrugged. I'd never heard of him, but I should ask Edward about him because he might have heard something after he set up the trust. I shook my head at the fact that the harrowed hall I was standing in was basically owned by my husband.

"What?" Jazz asked amusedly.

"Oh nothing, just thinking about all this." I waved my hand and Jasper chuckled knowingly.

"Oh you'll learn Bella, with the Cullens you just have to roll with it."

"Don't I know what you mean." I said wryly.

I finished up with my last minute checks and made sure everything was in order before Jasper and I each left to get ready for the event. Alice dropped him off earlier and he was coming back to our place. We were all going to get ready and attend together. We planned to have a fun night out away from the kids. It would probably be one of mine and Edward's last nights before Lucy arrived in mid-September.

Jasper grabbed my bag for me and I huffed teasingly as we descended the steps to the parking lot. In a matter of minutes we were joking and laughing about previous events and the things that happened.

"Do you remember two years ago when Lauren Mallory practically threw herself at Edward? I've never seen him so flustered. He's always so calm and collected, ever the agent. And here she was this twenty year old twit hanging all over him."

I laughed as I recalled his panicked face as I walked up to them. I had been planning to step in but the Jasper stopped me as I saw Esme walk up and give her a piece of her mind. I had never seen Esme irritated before and she called her a "harpy" and told her to get her hands off of her son. Jasper and I laughed so hard we had tears in our eyes and it helped us forget, for a little bit, what a mess the little brat created for us.

As we pulled into our underground garage, I instantly tensed. I hadn't felt odd this morning, but after everything Edward told me last night I was a little leery of our parking garage and of running into the man from the eleventh floor again. Now I was secretly glad Jasper was with me.

We continued to regale tales of our different events in the almost thirteen years we worked together.

Once we opened the door to our apartment I was met with Justin Bieber blaring over the speakers. I looked at Jazz and he instantly closed his eyes and shook his head.

"The girls like this?" I asked appallingly.

"Worse…Alice." He said soberly and I covered my mouth in laughter.

I looked up and noticed Edward walking toward us with a glass of something clear in his hand. Obviously he wasn't too pleased with the song choice either.

He bent down to give me a kiss and shook Jasper's hand as he met us at the door.

"What's going on?" I asked as he swallowed another large drink.

"Christ she has our son dancing around to that fucking Justin Bieber song." Edward shook his head with a disgusted look on his face and I just giggled.

"Oh poor Daddy, afraid our son's going to be influenced by the girls too much." I laughed and he scowled at me.

I touched his cheek and then kissed him as I pulled him toward the living room. "C'mon tough guy, he'll be just fine."

Edward sighed and reluctantly followed me back to the living room.

There we were met with the sight of Alice dancing around with the twins and Eric, who had a pink boa around his neck. I started laughing and Edward shot me a look of disdain.

Jasper busted up as they all sang "baby, baby, baby ooooh…" as loud as they could.

Finally Edward's scowl dropped and he smiled and shook his head. When the song ended the girls jumped to give me hugs and I got a sloppy kiss from Eric. Alice was already dressed and she shoed Jasper to the guest bathroom to get ready.

"Bella you need to get cleaned up." She tsked as she looked at me disapprovingly.

"Okay Alice." I sighed and walked down the hall toward the master bedroom. It wasn't like I was going to look spectacular tonight or anything, I was seven months pregnant. I would like I was trying to hide a basketball under a toga—still obvious.

 ******* I closed the door behind me and quickly slipped off my shoes and jewelry as I made my way to the bathroom. I turned on the shower to let it warm and then bent over the sink to scrub my face of my make-up and the grime of the day. Suddenly felt a hand on my back and I jumped.

"Oh! Edward, you scared me." I exclaimed as I looked up at him. He gave me a sly grin.

"I thought I would come get ready with you."

I knew that look. I _loved_ that look.

But now?

"Edward your sister and Jasper and the kids are all out in the living room. We can't do this now." I hissed.

"That's exactly _why_ we can do this now. Everyone's preoccupied."

He set his glass down on the counter and swept my hair from my shoulder as he began to place kisses up my neck.

My knees instantly buckled and a wave of heat rushed through me.

 _Damn pregnancy hormones._

He knew he could get me going with one little touch at any time, but now it was even worse. I was like a light switch.

"Babe…I really don't think…" I protested. But he spun me around and silenced me with his lips.

After giving me a searing kiss he leaned against my ear and I felt his hot breath on my neck and all the way down my back.

 _Fuck. I am so done for._

"Shhh. C'mon, they won't even know." He whispered mischievously. "I promise I'll be fast and efficient." He wiggled his eyebrows at me and I snorted and slapped his chest. But the thought of showering with a naked Edward, water droplets running over his still fantastic body and hot ass tattoos, made my insides tingle and I could feel my face flushing in an instant.

"Hmmm. See, I think someone agrees with me." He said as he stepped closer and trapped me against the counter and skimmed his nose up and down my neck.

 _Son of a bitch. Damn sexy agent got me every time._

"Oh, well when you say such dirty things like 'fast and efficient'." I teased.

He laughed wholeheartedly against me, but the vibration only spurred my temptations for him.

My husband.

My charming, devious, irresistible husband.

Without responding he worked his way up my neck with his lips as his hands gripped my waist. He lightly tugged on the shirt I was wearing, and with only a brief departure of his lips from my neck, had it off me and flung over his shoulder to the floor of the bathroom.

In a matter of seconds my bra, jeans and panties joined the pile and Edward was slowly kissing his way up my body. We were skin to skin and I could feel the steam from the shower filling the room and making us slick against one another.

He lightly palmed my breasts and I moaned and gripped his hair as he brought his mouth to one of my nipples and slowly sucked, tweaking it and making it pucker against the thick air of the bathroom.

"Fuck Liefje, your breasts are so fucking amazing." He switched to attend to the other as he ground himself against me as much as possible. I moaned and continued to work his scalp with my fingers as he took me higher and higher.

"It's just because I'm pregnant." I gasped as he lightly bit down and then sucked again.

"God, I love you pregnant." I laughed as he finally moved his way up my sternum to my neck and pushed my hair back as he found my pulse point. "Who am I kidding? I love you all the time."

I laughed and then moaned as he bit down on my ear. "Oh. Baby, please we don't have much time."

"I know. But I plan to take my time with you later. I promise." I groaned at his implications and wrapped my arms around him to pull him closer and bring his mouth roughly to mine.

Our tongues tangled and our bodies fought for friction until he picked me up and set me on the counter. I squeezed my legs around him as much as possible and leaned back as his erection pressed against me. Soon we were frantic and clinging to one another, our teeth crashing and our hands running roughly over one another. I gripped his strong chest and biceps and he hissed as I bucked into him.

But then I pushed back hard and he pulled away giving me a questioning look.

"Bella?"

"Help me up." I offered him my hand as he pulled me off the counter and I gave him a devilish smile. I stepped forward and ran my hands down his chest.

"I want you behind me." I whispered.

His eyes flashed with want and he all but growled at me. "Fuck. Turn around."

I did as he told me and shivered as he ran his hand down the side of my neck, pushing my hair over my shoulder before wrapping it around his wrist. He bent forward and kissed the nape of my neck as his other hand snaked around to tweak my breasts again and then work their way down to my center to make sure I was ready for him.

 _Like I wouldn't be._

"Quit teasing me." I shot him a smirk in the mirror and saw his wicked grin in return as he pressed against me. I moved my butt back into him and widened my stance to bend a bit as I felt him right at my entrance.

"You're okay." A flicker of concern crossed his face and I groaned.

"Edward. Just fuck me already."

"Jesus Liefje." He closed his eyes and pulled me back as he thrust into me.

"Oh…ahhh." I let out a long sigh. It was always so deep this way, but since I was pregnant it made me feel impossibly full and impossibly close to him.

Edward pushed in and then out, slowly and deliberately until I started to bring my hips back to him. My eyes were glazed and my mouth was open as I looked at him in the mirror. His face was set in a tough line, his jaw tight and his eyes blazing in fire.

"Fuck, Liefje, you look amazing." His teeth clamped down on my shoulder and I moaned.

I wanted to shake my head at him and tell him that there was no way I looked amazing seven months pregnant, but I knew he would just scold me. I knew he loved me like this; it was just hard to believe sometimes.

"You make me feel amazing." I gasped as he picked up his pace and brought his hand around under my breasts and drove into me deeper. I braced myself against the counter as he planted wet kisses down my back, making my skin rage in fire.

"Harder…Edward." I whimpered as we pushed and pulled against one another. Soon enough our slick skin was slapping and the mirror had fogged over from us and the steam in the shower.

"Ugh. Bella…" Edward groaned and I knew he was getting close. I could feel the burning in my abdomen and reached down move my fingers over my clit. The increased motion instantly had me spiraling.

"Oh. Edward. Edward." I cried out and then bit my lip because I didn't want everyone to hear us.

"Liefje." He groaned as he grabbed my shoulders and drove into me with abandon.

"I'm…I'm…" I didn't even finish the thought as my body started shaking and I plunged into the depths. I braced myself against the counter as I heard Edward growl my name and come before he lay flat against my back.

My legs were shaking and I was blissfully limp and sweaty. Edward wrapped his arms around me and pulled me against him as he wiped my now damp hair out of my face. He placed a kiss at my jaw and then my chin until I turned to meet him and our lips met, not with urgency this time, but in a tender, loving kiss.

We stood there simply kissing and reveling in our closeness for a moment until we realized we should get moving. We had already been in the bathroom for quite a while.

"We better get cleaned up." Edward said raspily as he hugged me to him. I hummed in contentment and leaned back with my eyes closed.

"Do we have to go?" I whined.

He laughed. "Bella, this is your event remember."

I sighed and gave him another kiss before I finally stepped away and got into the shower.

"Aren't you going to join me?" I popped my head out.

"I don't know if that's a good idea." He gave me a smirk and I laughed.

"Probably not."

I quickly showered and Edward helped me out and wrapped me in a towel. He cleaned up after me and then left the bathroom to put on his tux and finally go tell Alice that she could come back and help me with my hair.

I dried out my hair, leaving it straight until she got her hands on me, and started applying my make-up.

"Is it safe to come in?" I heard her voice at the door and I turned and rolled my eyes at her.

"What?" She put her hands on her hips. "You think people really take that long to…cough…'shower'…cough, cough." She said teasingly.

My face flushed and she started laughing.

"Shut up. I can't help it! Your brother is irresistible."

"It's the Cullen charm. What can I say?" She shrugged and I just shook my head and laughed harder.

We caught up a bit more on our week since the holiday as I quickly finished my make-up. My dress tonight was a Grecian style that was flowing and full and had plenty of room for my expanding belly.

Alice sat me down and started putting big curls through my hair. Once my entire head was curled, she pulled it halfway up leaving only a few tendrils around my face. Then she finished my make-up by making my eyes more dramatic and a bit cat-like. I was used to doing my own, but it was fun to have her amp it up once in a while. She attended so many photo shoots and was around make-up artists that she picked up some cool techniques.

We laughed and chatted as she sipped wine and I drank a sparkling water.

"Ok. All finished." She finally turned me and my breath caught a bit in the mirror. It was very similar to how she did it for our wedding day.

"Ali, it looks just like…" I trailed off.

"I know. I thought…this isn't the first time you have worn white…or well ivory for a big event since…" She said.

"Yeah." I sighed. I touched my hair and examined my now huge eyes and glowing face. I was instantly taken back three years in time.

 _"_ _Alice I don't need a multi-thousand dollar dress. We're going to be on the beach."_

 _"_ _But Bella." She whined._

 _We were walking through Bloomingdale's to pick up shoes for the attendants. I still hadn't decided on a dress, and Alice couldn't believe that I didn't want something big and extravagant like hers._

 _She stopped at the jewelry counter to get the last of the jewelry as well and I decided to just swing into the dress area. I was rummaging through a rack of clearance dresses when one caught my eye. It was white and long with a deep v in the front and the back. It was a BCBG MaxAzaria dress. Usually I would wear that line out for dinner or to a show, but this was much more formal and yet simple at the same time._

 _I grabbed it off the rack and quickly text Alice that I would be in the dressing room. I slipped out of my clothes, smiling that I had lost nearly all the baby weight and my body was returning to normal. I pulled the dress over my head and felt it fall to the floor around me._

 _I looked up in the mirror and smiled._

 _It was perfect._

 _The deep v was still edgy and gave it some flare, but the flowing skirt hid my now curvier body from my pregnancy and still made me feel sexy and feminine. I loved it. It was on sale for only $70. Even better._

 _"_ _Bella?" I heard Alice call for me and smiled to myself as I stepped out into the larger area._

 _"_ _Oh…Bella. It's perfect." Her eyes went wide and I nodded my head as I looked in the three way mirror._

 _"_ _Edward is going to love it and you look just…wow." She added. And in true Alice fashion her speechlessness gave way to an almost incoherent babble about shoes and hair and accessories._

 _Finally my head was spinning and I grabbed her hand._

 _"_ _Ali. I don't want to overdo it."_

 _"_ _Bella, Bella, Bella. Have you ever known me to overdo it?"_

 _I cocked and eyebrow at her and we both broke out in laughter._

Alice's ramblings brought me out of my thoughts as she went on and on about the wedding. Of course, Alice's other touches were spot on for the wedding just as they were for tonight. I wore studded little white sandals that had a slight wedge so I would have some height but I could still walk in the sand. She did my hair in a Grecian style, just like tonight, with it curled and half up so it could blow in the breeze. My make-up was light and I only wore my grandmother's simple lion necklace. I found it fitting.

I stepped out of the bathroom to finish changing and getting ready. Alice excused herself to go check on Jasper, Edward and the kids as I put on my dress and heels. It was a silky one shoulder ivory dress that had an empire waist and flowed down over my stomach to the floor. It looked like something straight out of the Greek Isles. I should know as I admired many things like it when Edward and I took our honeymoon there.

I was just putting on my gold wrapped bracelet and making sure everything lay right when I heard a click at the door and turned to look.

My eyes caught Edward's form as he stood in the door looking devastatingly handsome in a simple black tuxedo. My eyes raked over his body as he did the same to me. His hair was moderately tamed but still sexy as hell and his muscular body filled out the tux to perfection.

 _Damn, I am one lucky woman._

He swallowed as he stood there with his eyes wide and an awed expression on his face.

"What?" I asked.

He cleared his throat and stepped forward tentatively, never taking his eyes off me.

"The last time you wore white…" He rasped as he took each step slowly.

"I know." I said quietly and smiled.

Finally he reached me and ever so lightly trailed his fingers over my face from my brow to my jaw. The amount of love and devotion in just the simple light touch was indescribable.

"You look…I have no words for it Liefje." I closed my eyes and smiled as I felt his fingers trail to my lips and pull out my bottom one. My eyes fluttered open as he gently reached forward to cup my cheek with his other hand.

Then he kissed me, soft, warm and ever so tenderly. It was so much different than earlier in the bathroom, but that was why I loved him so much. I loved that he could be raw and passionate, protective and demanding and yet so gentle and caring. He took my breath away on a daily basis and I found myself once again breathless with my chest heaving as I gasped in air from his kiss.

He ran his hands down my arms and goose bumps instantly sprung up in their wake. He moved to my belly and the feeling of his warm touch over the silk was amazing. I covered his hand with mine and we were rewarded with a kick. Edward's face broke out in a breathtaking smile and we just enjoyed the moment.

At last he cleared his throat again. "I…um…I have something for you." His brow furrowed and he stepped over to the top drawer of the dresser where he kept the things most sacred to him.

I watched him with rapt attention as he stepped back over to me and fiddled with a small box in his hands.

"What's that?" I questioned.

"A little something Eric and I picked out…for you."

"Edward…" I started to admonish him, but he put his fingers over my lips. He was forever surprising me with things, and I constantly told him he didn't need to spend money on me.

"Bella. I love you. You are my wife, the mother of my children, my best friend, and everything in the world to me. If I want to give you something, I'm going to." He gave me a stern, but joking, look and I sighed as I couldn't hold back the smile on my face.

"I called Alice this morning to find out what your dress was like for tonight. She said it matched the theme of the fundraiser so I took a chance. Eric and I went down to Greenwich today and found these at a vintage place."

He opened the box and I bit my lip in anticipation. Even though I didn't like it when he bought me gitfts, he really had exceptional taste and his gifts were always spot on.

He pulled out a pair of antique gold chandelier earrings. They matched my strappy heels and gold bracelet perfectly and I knew they would look magnificent with the dress.

"Edward…they're…"

"Do you like them?" He asked hopefully.

"They're lovely, and…perfect." I ran my fingers over the earrings and he pulled them from the box.

"I'm glad. Here, let me help you." He pulled them from the box and we walked over to the mirror. He gently pulled my hair back as I took out the small gold drop earrings I had in. Then I took them from him and placed them in each ear. Edward gave me a huge smile and kissed me gently on my exposed shoulder.

I spun around and put my hands on his lapel as I leaned up to kiss him. "Thank you so much."

"You're welcome Liefje." We shared our quiet moment until, as could be predicted, Eric came bounding in.

"Momma. Did you get the earwings?"

Edward laughed and I bent down to show Eric that I was wearing them.

"I did baby, thank you so much, they're so pretty."

He gave me a big smile and I kissed his forehead. He giggled and ran back to the living room.

I turned toward Edward then and smiled at the look of joy on his face as I offered him my hand.

"Ready."

"Ready." He clutched mine and kissed the backs of my fingers as we strode out to the living room.

We said our good-byes to Eric, the girls and June and made our way to the limo. Alice and Jasper were just as excited for a night out as we were and were already a little tipsy from the wine they shared at our condo. Alice oohed and ahhed over the earrings and Edward simply shrugged.

The limo pulled up to the event and we stepped out on the red carpet. I still had a hard time getting used to this. Before I met Edward, I always arrived early and went in the back. But now I had to walk up the red carpet and make an appearance.

 _We might be on page 6 or something._

I put on my smile and grabbed Edward's hand. He pulled me into his side as he walked up the carpet.

"Edward, Bella!" I heard Esme's voice from somewhere ahead of us and I turned to look.

Before I knew it my mother-in-law wrapped her arms around me and pulled me in for a hug.

"Oh Bella dear you look wonderful." Esme gushed.

"Thanks Esme."

"Mom, you're going to mess up her hair and dress, and yours!" Alice all but screeched.

"Oh who cares Alice. We all look better when we're normal anyway." Esme waved her hand at her.

I laughed under my breath as Esme was really one of the few people who could snuff out one of Alice's fits in a second.

"You look beautiful as well Esme." I smiled as she stepped back and noticed her beautiful gold dress. She looked like a Grecian princess with gold leaves in her hair.

"Edward! I didn't get to see you and Eric this afternoon. How are you?" Esme threw her arms around Edward next and he laughed as he hugged her. It was so good to see him reconnected with his family. Esme looked ten years younger since he came back into their lives. She liked to give me credit for it, but I couldn't take it. It was him; he did the work to go through counseling and to bring himself back. I just tried to support him any way I could.

We greeted Carlisle and the Whitlocks and followed everyone into the event. Emmett and Rose weren't there yet; they were going to dinner beforehand.

The hall looked even better than I could have imagined. It was set with twinkling white lights and only the lingering light of day. The warm glow reminded me so much of the night Edward proposed to me.

Without thinking, I left our group of family and friends and wandered over to the Apollo statue. I stood there taking in the smooth lines of the stone and remembering the feeling of seeing Edward here the first time. The electricity between us was staggering and I could feel the warmth in my body as I thought about not only that day, but the day he proposed right here.

Suddenly a tingle ran up my neck and down my arms. I knew my own Apollo was right behind me, so close but not touching.

"It's really remarkable isn't it?" I could hear the smirk in his voice as he leaned right next to my ear.

"Remarkable is the perfect word for it." I responded without turning to look at him.

"Hmmm." He pondered, playing out our intense second meeting. "I would venture to say there are more beautiful things in this room however."

I turned around then to look at him and find the playful grin on his face. I placed my hands on his lapel as I stared up into his dancing jade eyes and gave him a coy smile.

"Oh really? What's that?"

"You." He whispered as he placed his hands on my waist and bent down to kiss me gently. My lips tingled from the contact and I smiled as he released them.

"You're a charmer Apollo."

"Only telling the truth." He smirked again. Then he looked around the hall taking in the last light of day. "You know what this reminds me of…" He trailed off.

"I know." I smiled. "I was thinking the same thing just a few minutes ago."

He stepped a bit closer, wrapping his arms around my back and bringing his lips to my ear. "That was one of the best nights of my life Liefje…when you agreed to be my wife."

My breath hitched as he placed a soft kiss on my temple. I was still amazed at how he could make me utterly speechless and forget everything, even in a room full of people at a very public event.

He ran his hand up over my belly then and looked down at me with a small smile on his face.

"What are your other favorites?" I asked without thinking.

His brow furrowed as he thought for a moment. "Our wedding, when Eric was born, and of course, when you told me this one was on the way." His hand grazed my stomach and I gave him a watery smile.

Suddenly a throat cleared next to us, breaking us from our private moment.

"Edward. It's been a long time." A nasally voice said from somewhere beside us.

Edward's whole body stiffened and he closed his eyes. He looked annoyed to be interrupted and I had to agree with him. But he turned, keeping his arm around me, and pulled me into his side.

"Claire. It has." He offered nonchalantly.

I looked up to see Claire Whitney in all her fake blonde, twiggy glory, clinging to the arm of a dark-haired, olive-skinned man.

There was an awkward silence as I felt Edward dig his fingers into my side. Something was amiss and I could feel the warmth and tenderness of our private moment instantly morph into something else.

Finally Claire cleared her throat and run her eyes up and down me.

"Edward, aren't you going to introduce us." Claire raised one perfectly plucked eyebrow and I had to fight the urge to roll my eyes. She knew who I was. We had met before, but just not with Edward around. Usually he tried to avoid her at all costs at these things.

Edward cleared his throat and turned to give me a small smile. He was up to something.

"Yes. Claire Whitney, this is my lovely wife, Bella."

"Claire." I extended my hand and she shook it limply. Edward pulled me back and placed an arm around my back with the other lightly against the side of my belly.

Her eyes flashed to my stomach again and I had to hold back a smirk.

"Well. I see you haven't wasted any time in expanding your family. My mother told me that you have another child as well?" She asked haughtily.

"Yes. Eric. He's three." Edward said coldly and I could see something flash in her eyes as she heard his name.

"Oh." The tension in the air was stifling. I knew it shouldn't matter to me, but I was always a bit wary of her. Ever since the encounter with Jan Cullen at the fundraiser four years ago, I knew Claire still had her eyes set on Edward. I was absolutely secure in our relationship. But I didn't trust her one bit.

The awkwardness continued until Claire straightened her back and turned to the man at her side.

"I'm sorry. Where are my manners? I forgot to properly introduce you to my my boyfriend. This is J. Frederico."

 _J. Frederico?_

Claire Whitney was dating the new up and coming businessman who donated the Santorini exhibit.

"J. Edward Cullen." Edward nodded.

"Edward." His voice was thick with an accent and his eyes were dark as he extended his hand.

Edward extended his as well, but the rigid look on his face had returned, almost like he knew him from somewhere. They shook forcefully and for longer than necessary until Edward placed his arm back around me.

I decided I needed to change directions with this conversation and offered my own hand.

"Bella Cullen. I work here at the Met. The Santorini pieces are quite an addition to the exhibit. Thank you for your generous donation."

"Yes, Mrs. Cullen. I see you did a fine job putting the exhibition together. I heard you were the one to request."

I furrowed my brow at him and felt Edward stiffen beside me again.

But before I could inquire more about what he meant, Esme stepped in to break up the encounter.

"There you two are. Your father and I want to introduce you to someone…Oh. Claire, it's nice to see you again." Esme nodded pleasantly and then grabbed Edward's arm to usher him aside. He in turn grabbed my hand and nodded toward the cold couple in front of us.

"Claire, J. Enjoy your evening."

"I'm sure we will Edward." Claire said haughtily again.

I just offered them each a small smile as I was being led back toward our family.

As soon as they were out of sight, I looked at Edward and he seemed deep in thought as if he wasn't even aware of where he was at.

As I let him collect himself, I checked the time to see if I needed to speak with the MC. Then Alice saddled up to me.

"So what was that all about?" She questioned.

"I have no idea Alice." I rolled my eyes.

"Just an awkward meeting of old and new flames huh?" She chuckled.

"Awkward is an understatement."

She giggled and handed me a glass of sparkling water. "Here. Don't let that hussy ruin your night. We're without kids and without a curfew. Let's have fun." She offered a cheers and I held up my glass to hers.

"To tonight." She stated.

I smiled, but out of the corner of my eye I noticed my still distracted husband and over his shoulder one old flame looking on with interest. I shook it off and turned back as we clanked our glasses.

"To tonight." I finished and took a sip of my drink. I just hoped tonight wasn't another indication of Edward's worries. We didn't need any of our old issues coming back to haunt us and I definitely didn't need any new ones to worry about.

 **XXXX**


	4. Chapter 3- Blast from the Past

_**Chapter Three: Blast from the Past**_

" _ **Beat It" by Michael Jackson**_

 _ **~Agent Cullen~**_

Groan.

That's all I wanted to do was simply groan. Groan because my perfectly wonderful evening had taken an annoyingly dark turn. Groan in frustration from seeing fucking Claire Whitney. Groan because, even though I have a photographic memory, I can't seem to place J. Frederico or whatever the fuck his name is. Groan because who the hell goes by an initial anyway. Groan because fucking Claire and J interrupted our special moment.

 _What the fuck just happened?_

 _Who the fuck is J. Frederico anyway and why is he with Claire Whitney?_

 _Why can't I hear anything?_

My brain was spinning and the room felt stifling, though I was in a giant open hall. I had been relaxed and happy and even a bit excited about our night out although I generally didn't like these types of events. I was looking forward to repeating our office tryst of years past, but now I was thinking that might not happen. I was too fucking tense and amped up, and not in a good way.

I had such a good day, such a good evening after Bella and I talked last night. Even though I was still suspicious and wary as ever, I felt like I was in control of the situation. Eric and I had a great day together, just the two of us, until we went to see my Dad in the afternoon.

I took a deep breath, willing the ringing in my ears to subside and felt Bella squeeze my hand.

"Are you okay?" She whispered.

"I'll be fine, just give me a minute."

She gave me a small smile and nodded, but didn't let go of my hand. My father handed me a drink and I simply gave him a small cheers as I tossed half of it back in one swallow. Dad gave me a perplexed look but I just slightly shook my head.

He shrugged, knowing not to ask until I was ready. Instead I stared at the sea of people in Grecian style dresses and tuxes. I wanted to revel in the feel of the hall again, this special place for Bella and I. But at the moment I needed to compartmentalize my thoughts. I needed to think about the day I had and how I got to this point.

With that I couldn't help but smile as I thought about Eric.

" _Daddy can we go to the park?"_

 _Eric bounced in his chair as he shoveled a bite of toast in his mouth and I laughed at him._

" _Sure Zoonie. But first, I thought you could help me pick out a present for Momma. What do you think about that?"_

 _He nodded emphatically as he chewed on his bite._

" _Good, and then we're going to go to go see Opa."**_

" _Yeah!" He squealed and started to get out of his chair._

" _Not so fast buddy. You have to finish your breakfast first." He smiled at me and shoved the entire rest of his toast in his mouth and I couldn't do anything but laugh._

 _Too smart for his own good._

" _Ready Zoonie." I asked after we brushed our teeth and he gave me a big smile._

" _Yeah. Park! Opa's!"_

" _But first a gift for Momma."_

" _Okay."_

 _I grabbed his hand and led him to the elevator. We rode down to the street level and as usual Eric chattered the entire way down. I was simply enjoying his innocent outlook on everything. I was able to forget about everything for a few hours. We took the subway to Greenwich and then finally found a vintage jewelry store. I knew somewhat what I wanted to get for Bella. Alice told me her dress was Grecian and flowing and that she was wearing gold with it. Other than that, I was on my own._

 _As soon as we walked into the store I picked up Eric to look around. As much as I loved him, he was like a bull in a china closet. We glanced through some cases but nothing caught my eye. I thanked the owner and we made our way to the next store._

 _Three stores later, one tired and hungry three year old and I was starting to think this wasn't the best idea. When we finally stumbled into a little antique store at the end of the block, I decided if we didn't find anything here I would just go to Tiffany's. Although I wanted something unique, Eric needed lunch and a nap soon._

" _Hello. Can I help you with something dears?" A kind older woman smiled at me from behind the counter and I took in her eclectic skirt and shirt._

" _I'm looking for some earrings for my wife. Something gold and rather large."_

" _Is it for a special occasion?" She inquired kindly._

 _I quickly explained the event and Alice's description of the dress and she gave me a wide smile._

" _I have just the thing."_

 _She walked to the back of the store and emerged a short time later with a small black box. Eric was out on my shoulder and I shifted him to the other side as I reached out to look at the earrings._

" _These just came up at auction last month. My husband was very fortunate to get them. They're antique Victorian with 24 carat gold, real pearls and citrine. They were a part of Duchess Von Arder's estate."_

 _I nodded as I took in the earrings. They were perfect, exactly what I wanted for Bella, unique, exquisite and something that I couldn't just get at any chain store._

 _Eric stirred on my shoulder just then and gave me a sleepy smile. I held up the earrings for him and he gave me a grin._

" _What do you think Zoonie?"_

" _For Momma?"_

 _I chuckled. "Yes for Momma."_

 _He nodded enthusiastically and the owner laughed. As she completed the order and Eric fell back asleep on my shoulder she gave me a big smile._

" _He looks like you."_

" _He looks like both of us." I shrugged._

" _They grow so fast. Just remember to keep them close always and enjoy every minute of it."_

" _I will." I assured her as Eric and I left the shop._

As I thought back on my purchase I couldn't help but catalogue everything that occurred. I had been reviving my field-like thinking over the last couple of days. I thought about the name of the store, what the woman looked like and who she said she got the earrings from. I knew it was random and there was no likelihood that she was connected to anything to do with us, but it was good practice anyway.

I thought about her comment on Duchess Von Arder. She was a renowned New York Socialite whose husband was a Duke of some sort from Switzerland. I knew he was big in banking and they ran with the likes of my grandparents, but he had long passed over ten years ago. The Duchess survived but recently died of heart complications. There was an entire spread in one of the people pages.

My mind drifted next to my conversation with my father only hours ago. After Eric and I left the shop in Greenwich we caught a cab to my parents' house. I put Eric in the spare bedroom and made my way to the family room to watch the Yankees with my father…

" _So how's Bella doing? Is everything going well?"_

 _I took a sip of my beer as I watched the first pitch go out and swallowed._

" _She's good. Getting bigger every day but she feels good."_

" _Good. She looked like she was still moving well last weekend."_

" _Yeah. We've been lucky, no complications with either Eric or Lucy so we can't complain too much."_

 _I sat silently taking in the game and the comfortable silence that surrounded us._

" _Edward. I've been thinking…about our discussion on Sunday."_

" _Yeah?"_

" _I thought about something you asked. About whether there was any fallout with my sisters after the break-up of the company."_

" _Okay…"_

" _There was one problem. One investor who held a significant amount of shares was rather perturbed about the way the company was distributed. He attempted to get the board to vote again and threatened a lawsuit."_

" _Do you know his name?" I asked attentively._

" _I don't. But I do know he had some not so kind parting words with the Chairman of the Board."_

" _What did he say?"_

" _He said he would be contacting his lawyer and that this wouldn't go away quietly. He said he knew other people who were still 'owed' something after the demise of…"_

 _He trailed off but I knew who he meant. He wasn't just wronged by the turnover of the company. He was wronged by Jan himself._

" _Can you find out who it was for me?"_

" _Sure. But I'm still curious as to why you're so interested. I know you mentioned the strange man on the beach, but what else is going on Edward?"_

 _My father peered at me carefully and I looked up at the ceiling. Directly above us Eric was taking his nap in my old room. My heart clenched a bit as I thought about the happenings of this last week._

" _Someone spoke with June at the park this week."_

" _What?" Dad's eyes widened._

" _He said he worked at Reycon and he knew you and more importantly…" I swallowed. "He knew Eric."_

" _I…I have no idea." My Dad's voice dropped and I went on._

" _This man, the one who was upset about Cullen Enterprises, you don't know where he worked do you?"_

" _No...but I'll find out. I'll find out whatever I can." He said solemnly._

 _I went on to explain the other strange happenings of the week and my father listened attentively. But something in the back of my mind was nagging at me. Something, or someone, was pulling at the edges of my memory. Just because my memory was photographic didn't make it perfect and it annoyed me…immensely._

 _After we had some lunch and Eric awoke to watch the game with us. Soon enough we said good-bye and went to the park to play for a bit on our way home. But even as I tried to enjoy the rest of the day with my son, I kept thinking about my father's words. My father had been through this before with me only three years prior and something didn't sit right for either of us…_

I sighed again as I looked around at the donors and the socialites of New York in attendance. Could the same man be here tonight? Was he just a disgruntled shareholder? Or was he one in the same that worked at Reycon and approached June.

Or was he worse.

 _Was it Kebi?_

Something about my interaction with Frederico didn't sit well with me either and continued to work its way under my skin like a leach.

Bella once again pulled me from my thoughts as I finished my drink and set it on a passing tray.

"I need to get something from my office Agent Cullen. Want to join me?" She gave me a smirk and I returned it as I grabbed her hand.

 _Anything for another distraction._

"Everyone. I need to grab something from my office for the auction. I'll be right back."

"Sure you do." Alice gave her a knowing snicker and Bella blushed instantly. I shook my head and laughed because of course my sister was on to us. But I was all about sneaking off with Bella and relieving some tension.

We walked back to her office hand in hand. I smirked at her as we opened the door, excited for our little yearly rendezvous. Even if it had only been a few hours, I could never get enough of my wife.

But then I stopped.

Her office was filled with flowers. I knew I hadn't sent them. Not to mention they were a certain kind of flowers that I knew had many meanings.

"What the…" She trailed off as she looked around.

My grip on the door handle squeezed tighter until my knuckles were white and my fingers were turning numb.

"Bella, when did you get these?"

She shook her head. "I don't know. They weren't here when I left the office at 3:00 today."

She started to walk over to the most prominent set on her desk, but I grabbed her hand quickly.

"Wait! We don't know who these are from."

"Edward…" She sighed and squeezed my hand tensely. I looked down at her to bid her to stay at the door and then I walked inside.

I grabbed one of the cards off of the large bouquets of yellow Hyacinth.

 _Thank you for the marvelous exhibit._

 _J. Frederico_

What. The. Fuck?

What the fuck does that asshole think he's getting at and what the fuck is he doing giving my wife flowers?

I had only just met the guy, but the eerie feeling he left with me and his likeness to someone or something was already wearing on my conscience.

"What does it say?" Bella quickly grabbed the card and I knew all thoughts of our rendezvous were out the window.

Her eyes scanned it and she drew her head back in surprise. "Why the hell would he send me flowers? I hardly did anything."

I shook my head, not knowing and trying to settle the rage in my brain to run out there and interrogate him.

I could see Bella studying the card as well as the dozen or so plants around the office and then settle her eyes back on me.

"Edward. What are you thinking?" She asked calculatedly.

My breath built up in my lungs causing it to burn in agitation until I finally let out a long exhale.

 _You are now an agent. You have to start acting like an agent, thinking like an agent, and being an agent at all times._

Words from my training sped through my brain like a freight train. I could no longer ignore all these strange occurrences. Regardless of how this fit in, something about it was just… _off_ to me. And something in my training, in my experience, in every fiber of my being was telling me to start acting like an agent again and find out.

At last I settled my eyes on my wife's large chocolate orbs and took a cleansing breath.

"I don't know. But I'm going to find out." I said evenly.

"Edward…" She admonished, but I put my fingers over her lips.

"I'll be discrete Liefje and he'll never know. I just…I think I need to look into this."

She nodded, likely reading the intense expression on my face. I knew what she was thinking. It was the same thing I was thinking. My face probably reflected what it did four years ago. The same tension returned to my stance, my senses were on high alert as they always had been and I could feel my body responding to the external world.

"Okay. Well, we should get back then." She said quietly as she set down the card and grabbed the list that was already placed on her desk.

"Yeah." I placed a kiss on her forehead and then grabbed her hand as I let my eyes take one more inquisitive pass around her office.

Our shoes clicked loudly along the tiled floors and we didn't say anything as we walked back. Once we spotted our family again and Bella went to speak to the MC I saw Rosalie and Emmett next to them.

"Em." I offered my hand and gave Rose a kiss on the cheek.

I surreptitiously looked around for Frederico in my peripheral vision and Emmett gave me a curious look. But I also noticed the large smile on his face and the radiant look on Rose's.

"What's going on?" I asked.

"Well E, it looks like I am going to be a Dad again."

My eyes popped, shocked at his news as their son Ethan was only four months old.

"Really? Congratulations man, that's awesome!" I slapped him on the back and smiled at Rose as she beamed. I truly was happy for them knowing all the issues they had the first time around.

"Pardon my saying it, but that's rather fast." I joked.

Emmett shrugged. "What can I say, once my swimmers found their way there was no stopping them."

Rosalie snorted and I laughed heartily. Bella joined us once again and they shared their news with her. She and Rosalie instantly began talking about pregnancy and I knew it was my chance to grab Emmett's attention for a few minutes.

"Hey McCarty why don't I get you a celebration drink?"

Emmett looked down at his nearly full beer and shrugged.

I led the way to the bar, having spotted Frederico, without Claire Whitney, only moments earlier.

"I need your help with something." I murmured to McCarty. He gave me a puzzled look but nodded, not asking any questions. In light of our recent conversation and our general way of operating for so many years, he could probably tell from the tone of my voice.

I walked up to the bartender and asked for two drinks as I stepped in next to Frederico.

"J." I nodded succinctly and shot Emmett a look.

"Cullen." Something about the way he said my name made my ears perk up even more and I saw Emmett's brows furrow.

"J. Frederico. This is Emmett McCarty. He's married to Rosalie Whitlock." I motioned.

"Ah yes. Captain McCarty isn't it?" The two shook firmly.

"Yes." Em responded, and I could tell he was now even more intrigued. He kept a blank face but I could tell by his expression that he was analyzing Fredrico.

"I've read about your heroics in the papers." Frederico added.

Emmett chuckled, "well I generally try to keep out of the papers but thank you." Em took a sip of his drink and before I could move forward, spurred on the conversation.

"I've also seen your name in print recently. What brought you to New York?"

Ah. Leave it to Em to pull that one out.

"Business and…a certain someone let's say." I waited for his eyes to find Claire in the crowd—the way I would find Bella or Emmett would find Rosalie. But he didn't. Instead he looked straight at Em expressionless.

 _Hmmm._

"I know how that can happen." Em continued jovially and I decided to step in.

"So, my wife tells me you are a very _generous_ donor to the Met." I emphasized and made the next segway. I wasn't going to acknowledge the flowers he sent, but he would know by my tone of voice.

"Yes. I've always had a love of the Arts. Even as a child. I inherited it from my father."

I nodded. "Where did you grow up?"

"Brazil mostly…" He peered at me with his dark eyes and I noticed a flash of…something.

"You must have some very interesting stories." I stated as I thought back to my own time in South America.

"Yes. Interesting would be the operative word." Our eyes locked for a moment as we assessed one another. I could feel a tingle up my spine as I looked at him—a foe, a rival, a threat.

Emmett suddenly cleared his throat and slapped my shoulder.

"Well J it was nice to meet you but I better get back to my wife. I believe she's expecting some bids on the auction items tonight." The tone of his voice wasn't lost on me as I broke from Frederico's gaze and nodded to McCarty.

"Me too. J." I nodded at him and he simply nodded in return and then tossed back the rest of his drink.

McCarty and I made our way slowly back through the crowd. I slipped on my mask of nonchalance as I could feel him looking at me out of the corner of my eye.

"You're going to tell me about this later right?" He muttered under his breath.

"Right. Not here."

He nodded as though he was greeting someone else but I knew he understood all the same.

The rest of the evening progressed rather uneventfully but Bella could see my distraction from the evening. I was no longer annoyed at having my evening interrupted, my annoyance had morphed into an anger. Something was boiling under the surface and I couldn't explain it. I was pissed, frustrated that I had to deal with this again. And at the same time, I was focused. My brain and my senses were more aligned than they had been in years and I was becoming something I thought I left long ago. But that bubbling under the surface was just the beginning. Little did I know, eventually it would return. He would return. It was only a matter of time.

*&^%$#

"Six. Seven. Eight. C'mon Cullen two more." I grunted and gritted my teeth as I pushed up the bench press. Sweat was pouring down my back and my arms shook from the weight.

"Nine. Ten." McCarty grabbed the bar and helped me place it back on the bench.

"Fuck E. You sure haven't lost much."

I shrugged. Whether it was the renewed knowledge of being a protector for my family, or _him_ rising back up inside me, I had hit my workouts extra hard in the last two weeks. I was unconsciously getting myself back to a place that I had been before.

One I didn't want to think about, but I knew I was going there.

The last two weeks had progressed rather uneventfully, but I knew Bella could sense the shift in me. I told her about the entire evening at the Met and my discussions with my father. I could tell she was concerned, but I told her I would handle it and not to worry. I didn't want her worrying about me when she was 33 weeks pregnant with our daughter.

"So E, you never told me what Garrett said the other week." Emmett curled his impressively heavy dumb bells to his chest and I exhaled loudly as I did the same. I gave him the lowdown on our conversation but I hadn't heard anything back from him. He and I discussed the entire incident with Frederico and the flowers in Bella's office.

"That's fucked up."

"Tell me about it. I was pissed."

"What did Bella say?"

"She said it wasn't uncommon for big donors to send gifts and such. But still. Fucking flowers."

McCarty grunted in agreement and we stepped over to do some triceps when I noticed Agent Biers enter the gym. He gave me a nod and McCarty shot me a look. He had joined me at the FBI gym today, but he still knew almost all the guys.

"Who's that?"

"Biers."

"New guy?"

"Yeah. He's the one I was telling you about. You know…with the new program."

He nodded as we proceeded to do our next set. I was really pushing my limits the last few weeks and sweat was pouring down my face. I lifted my shirt and wiped my brow as I prepared to do the last set. As I lowered it I could feel eyes on me and I glanced around. There were only six people in the gym and everyone seemed occupied at the moment.

"What's up E?" McCarty asked eying me warily.

"I don't know. I feel like I'm being watched."

"What? Here?"

"Yeah." As I finished the set I looked around again. I saw Biers across the room look away quickly. He was with a few other young agents—none of who I knew.

I tried to let the feeling roll off of me until McCarty and I left the gym to hit the showers. I let the warm water roll over me in an attempt to wash away the feeling of grime and uneasiness I felt. Just as I grabbed a towel and wrapped it around my waist, Biers stepped into the showers.

"Cullen." He nodded and I returned his gaze. But something caught my eye. He had a large phoenix tattoo in black and red tribal design spanning his shoulder and upper arm and onto his back. He had several others as well, but the phoenix caught my eye because of what it stood for.

 _Rebirth by trial of fire._

I had considered getting a phoenix after we found Eric's remains and finally buried him at our family site. I was reborn a new man then—I had Bella, my son on the way and Eric lived on in my son, my family and in me.

And now, I was a bit more curious about Agent Biers.

"Nice tat." I nodded and stepped toward the locker room. "When did you get it done?"

He stopped for a moment, seemingly surprised by my question. But the well-trained agent, so much like me, quickly composed his expression.

"When I was…19." He said as he turned toward the shower. I dipped my chin and stepped toward the lockers.

"I could say the same." He said as I was almost out and I stopped short. "What does the lion mean?"

"Family symbol." I said without looking at him and I could feel the heaviness in the air and sense the realization washing over him.

It wasn't talked about, the Cullen connection to Il Leone. It was forgotten and it was never mentioned that I was his grandson.

As I dressed for training, I thought about Biers. I didn't know whether to trust him or not. I hadn't decided yet and I wasn't sure if I wanted to ask Fortnight more about him.

I dressed quickly in my gear as I had training again today. I was planning to work on some takedown moves with the men. I walked to the mats and noticed the agents compiled and chatting amiably. McCarty was still there and I gave him a perplexed look.

"What? I thought I'd stick around and learn a few things teach?" I smirked and punched him in the arm as I called everyone to order.

I decided to make McCarty useful and demonstrated the technique on him. Even though he was a hell of a lot bigger than me, he came at me and I spun, undercutting him and taking out his legs. He dropped with a thud and I stood over him to ensure he was down. As I always did, we slowed it down and reenacted it for the other agents.

"Now remember, you never leave your attacker an opening. Based on your orders, you always complete the takedown."

The line meant different things to different agents. My eyes connected with Biers and I knew he was the only one who _always_ had different orders than the rest. Everyone else would be instructed to either incapacitate or contain.

But not us.

As I worked through more moves with McCarty and a few other volunteers my mind wandered back almost ten years to my own training…

" _Cullen! What the fuck do you think you're doing?"_

" _Incapacitating the attacker Sir." I responded succinctly. But I never took my eyes off of my "attacker."_

" _And what the fuck good is that going to do you." He growled in my ear._

" _None Sir. Until I kill him."_

" _What ways can you terminate him from this position?"_

" _Several sir. Dim Mak I, III, VII, strangulation, slicing the artery, head contusion, point blank from firearm…" I rattled off a few more and my trainer nodded._

" _And what is the most effective for no detection?"_

" _Eleven."_

" _Very well."_

I snapped back to the present as I gave the agents their next assignment. McCarty paired up with an agent and I noticed Biers was alone.

"Agent Cullen. Would you mind working with me?" I nodded and took my stance. We eyed each other and circled like predator and prey. I waited patiently for his move. If I had learned anything over the years, the two best ways to attack were to either attack immediately and without warning or to wait out the other person and make them uncomfortable until they become antsy and attacked in an inopportune manner.

But Biers was trained well and he didn't give in. Everyone else completed their assignment as we continued our dance. I felt the presence of the circle of men around us but I never took my eyes off of Biers.

At last he flinched and I made my move. I went for his left leg and he slipped, but quickly caught his balance. I was back up and spun as he came at me in a flash. We traded block for block. I swept at his leg again and he avoided only to get around my back.

But I was faster.

His next move was too deliberate and in a flurry he was over my shoulder and I had him on the mat in incapacitation position.

"Completion." I heaved as I regulated my breathing.

"Holy fuck." I heard one of the agents mutter, but I kept my eyes trained on Biers. I knew what was going through his mind. It was likely a similar training scenario as I remembered only moments before.

"Best tactic for me here Biers?" I questioned him in a low voice so no one else could hear.

He stared at me intently.

"Eleven." He whispered and I nodded as I released my grip on his neck.

I stood up and he retreated into the crowd of agents as I looked around at the men and women. Their eyes were wide and many of them were shaking their heads in admiration. I knew what they were thinking. I was ridiculously fast. He was very good, but I still had him down within minutes and I didn't suffer a single scratch. I was the agent who had an entire program named after him.

 _But didn't want it._

 _Fucking Cullverten._

I didn't bask in their glory. Instead I had an entirely different feeling coursing through my veins. It was a feeling I was all too familiar with for too many years and one I hated.

 _Mission complete._

 _Assignment complete._

 _Kill complete._

 _Assassin._

 _Killer._

 _Devil._

 _Monster._

"We're done for today." I stated, and before anyone could question me, I walked off the mat to the locker room once again.

*&^%$#

"Bella?"

I closed the door and set my bag down and threw my keys on the side table.

"Bella?"

The house was quiet and I couldn't imagine that she wasn't home yet. She usually tried to leave early on Fridays to spend some time with Eric, and she was trying to slow down now that the Fundraiser was over.

After my training session, I took another long shower and tried to wash away the feelings of darkness that rushed through my veins. I didn't want to go home to her that way. Other agents made their way in and out of the locker room and knew not to say anything to me. They let me be. Even McCarty just gave me a nod before he left and Biers was nowhere to be seen.

"Zoonie?" I could hear light music from the bedroom so I grabbed a beer from the fridge and made my way down the hall. I listened for Eric's giggle, but didn't hear it.

"Liefje?" I opened the door to find Bella standing at the dresser putting earrings in.

"Hey." She smiled and instantly spun around to walk over to me. She was dressed in a long strapless summer dress which flowed around her. I instantly tried to put my day behind me and become the man that I was now.

 _Not that other man._

I could already feel the familiar dichotomy returning: Agent by day and husband and father by night.

 _But how long could I truly separate them?_

"Why are you so dressed up? Where's Eric?" I asked as I came into the present.

She gave me a kiss and placed her hands on my chest as she looked up to me.

"Charlie and Sue came to get him. They wanted a night with their grandson and I thought it would be nice to have some time…just the two of us."

I smiled at the thought and wrapped my arm around her.

Distractions. That's what I needed.

"What did you have in mind?" I gave her my best smirk in an attempt to get myself in the mood and she quickly slapped my chest playfully.

"I have in mind you getting changed and getting ready for dinner. C'mon, I got us reservations."

I kissed her check and then took a long pull from my beer as I stepped toward the bathroom. Bella lightly slapped my ass and I jumped.

"Hey. We won't be going to dinner if you continue that." I said darkly.

"Whatever Agent Cullen." She said teasingly and slipped from the room. I shook my head as I got ready for dinner.

Distraction. Dinner, wife, distraction.

This was exactly what I needed.

I quickly changed into a button down shirt and pants and tried to tame my hair. I took a deep breath and focused on our night ahead. As I stepped out to the living room, I saw Bella pick up a few of Eric's toys.

"Ready?" I asked and she tossed the toys in his box and turned toward me.

"Always."

I chuckled and grabbed her hand as I walked us to the door. We turned off the lights and stepped into the elevator to make our way down. Bella hit the button for the ground level and I raised an eyebrow at her.

"We're cabbing it tonight. I want to be able to let loose and I don't want you to feel like you can't drink." She gave me a stare.

I nodded and smiled, knowing I couldn't argue with her. To be honest, I could use a few drinks tonight.

We hailed a cab for some new restaurant that Bella read about in the Times and I wrapped my arm around her as we sat back to wait. The cab weaved through traffic as she told me about her morning at work and a new exhibit they were getting.

We walked into the restaurant and were quickly seated at our table. I ordered a martini and by the second one, my mind was finally calming and I was able to focus on only my wife, the amazing food before us and block out everything else of the day and past few weeks.

I stared at Bella as she closed her eyes and savored the taste of the scallops we ordered. I took in her beautiful mahogany waves and the way the light of the restaurant set off her perfect skin. She was completely glowing as she talked about a volunteer event she did with Alice a few nights ago. I let the vodka and the sound of her smooth voice just seep into me. The entire moment just made me appreciate her and our son and everything about my life.

Everything so different from my _other_ life.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

I shook my head as I realized she asked me a question.

"What?"

"You. What were you thinking about?" She scooted closer to me in the booth and gently squeezed my hand.

"I was thinking about you. How beautiful you are and how lucky I am?" I said as I kissed her lightly.

"Edward." She breathed.

"What?"

"Stop doing that."

"Stop doing what?"

"Stop getting all sentimental and acting like you're never going to see me again. It's our night out. Away from our three year old busy, busy boy." She put her hands on my face and I couldn't do anything but stare into her deep espresso pools.

"Sorry. It's just...been a rough few weeks."

She nodded and gently kissed me. "I know. But we're here. We're now. And I know we have to be careful, but you know what. We have other things to think about too."

I sighed and pulled her close to me as I ran my fingers through her hair. I could feel her exhale from my touch and I kissed the top of her head.

"I know Liefje. I know. But I love you so much and I worry. You just have to know that."

"I know. I love you too."

We stayed entwined for another minute before she pulled away and took another bite from her plate. I did the same as we let the air clear and she changed topics.

"You know we haven't talked to Eric much about him having a little sister." She looked at me intently. "How do you think he's going to take to it?"

"Do you think it will be a problem?"

She thought for a moment and took a sip of her non-alcoholic drink until she finally shook her head. "No. June says he does so well with the other kids at her place and he's never had a problem playing with any of his cousins. He's never really had attachment issues, so I don't think so. But we should probably keep mentioning it more and preparing him now that the time is coming."

She ghosted her hand over her stomach, and without willing it to my hand followed. I nodded in agreement and we spent the rest of dinner talking about Eric and Lucy and our upcoming plans.

Soon we left the restaurant and walked down the street to a little jazz club that we had been to a few times. We settled into a booth and I pulled Bella close in the darkness of the corner as I wrapped my arm around her. My two martinis at dinner and my beer were starting to get the best of me as her scent infiltrated my senses. Suddenly I could think of nothing other than getting my wife home and into our bedroom and losing myself in her.

"Liefje have I ever told you how sexy you are?" I whispered as I lightly nibbled her ear.

She giggled and turned her eyes up at me. Without meaning to, her stare was even more sexy and come hither. "You have Agent Cullen, but I appreciate hearing it."

"You are. You are the sexiest woman I have ever laid eyes on." I grazed my hand up her hip and over the side of her breast. She gasped and leaned into me as she clutched my thigh.

"You know we can't maneuver like we used to. We might have to take this home before we get in trouble for our public displays of affection." She murmured.

I gave her a devilish grin as I thought back to the time in the bar by Columbia.

 _Bella in a tight Yankees tee._

 _Bella on the sink in front of me._

 _Bella begging me._

"I think it's time to go." I groaned and she chuckled into my ear. I quickly paid the tab and all but dragged her out of the club.

I continued to rub her thigh, her arm, and up her side as we sat in the cab and I could tell she was trying to keep her breathing steady. Of course she was returning the torture with her own ministrations.

As soon as we stepped into the elevator to ride up to our floor I attacked her. My hands were at her waist and she fisted her fingers in my hair. I groaned as she released my hair and rubbed her hand along my length.

"Cameras." I grumbled through my relentless attack on her mouth, but she didn't stop.

"You started it." She goaded me.

I turned her so that she was in the corner of the elevator and blocked from the view of the camera as I latched my lips on her neck.

"And I'll finish it."

"Shit." She gasped as I sunk my teeth into her earlobe and ground against her. The elevator bell dinged and I grabbed her hand and raced into our apartment. I fumbled with the key as her hands roamed up my chest and she pressed against my back.

In a flash we were inside and I had her pressed against the door again. I wanted to be careful with her, I wanted to get her to the bedroom, but I just fucking needed her so much in that instant.

My mouth was insistent against hers as I plunged my tongue in, stroking, tasting, beating away the emotions of the day and last few weeks.

"Edward." She moaned and I lifted her dress over her head and threw it down the hallway.

"Bella." I growled as I took her in luscious breasts, her round stomach and her long creamy legs.

She clutched at my shirt as she worked her lips up my neck and diligently removed the buttons from their clasps. We were feverish for one another and the apartment resonated with our gasps and moans as piece after piece of our clothing fell to the floor.

At some point, I finally realized I couldn't just take her against the door as I normally might. Her frame wouldn't allow it right now. So I picked her up bridal style and she squealed as I spun around and walked us to the dining room. I set her on the cold dining room table and she gasped as her bare skin made contact with the surface.

But then she looked up at me with hooded eyes and hooked her legs around me to pull me closer once again. Her fingers burned a trail of fire up my chest and back down until she took me in her hand.

"Fuck." I gritted my teeth as I felt her hand pumping me and I gripped her hips and pulled her to the edge of the table.

Her tongue circled my nipple and every bit of me was on fire as she nibbled and licked. I pressed her back on the table, and her hair splayed out around her as I took my turn to take her nipple in my mouth and suck gently.

"Ugh. Baby, please?" She writhed beneath me as I paid attention to both and then stroked her with my hand.

"Fuck. Liefje you're so ready for me."

"Yes…always." She gasped as I pumped my fingers into her and then closed her eyes as she threw her head back.

I pulled out my fingers and leaned over as I lined myself up with her and in one swift movement pushed inside.

"Oh fuck!" She cried out at the same time I did and I slowed for a moment to get my bearings.

"God you always feel so fucking good Liefje."

"Oh. You too baby." She moaned and I stood back and pulled her legs higher on my waist. I set a slow pace as I watched in awe at her splayed out on the table before me. Her hair was a wild main, her chest moved with each of my thrusts and I placed my hand over her stomach where I looked in amazement at the life we created in her.

"Edward. Edward. I'm so close." Her knuckles were white as I sped up and shifted her to get a little deeper. Although I could watch myself disappear in her all day, I quickly swept her up in my arms and continued to thrust as she clung to my neck.

"Fuck. I love you Mijn Vrouw, I love you." I felt her squeeze around me and with one more thrust I pushed us both over the edge.

We were panting and sweaty and my legs felt like jell-o but I was so happily sated. I lovingly stroked my hands through her hair as our breathing steadied and I felt her sigh against me.

Without another word I bent down to kiss her and picked her up to take her back to our bedroom. She gave me a lazy smile and I knew our night was only beginning.

*&^%$#

"Baby what are you thinking about?" The moonlight swept through our bedroom as the stillness of our apartment settled around us. It had to be 3:00 in the morning but we were both somehow still awake, awake and blissfully lethargic as we lay in our bed.

Bella's fingers traced over my chest and I sighed as I squeezed her tighter to me.

"I'm thinking…I wish every night could be like this. Just one big distraction. Not having to think about work or…other things."

"Hmmm." She hummed in response and placed a kiss on my chest. "I know what you mean."

We were quiet for a moment until I could feel something shift as she exhaled. She sat up and wrapped the sheet around her as she placed a hand on my chest.

"Edward I have to tell you something and I don't want you to freak out."

She gave me a stern look that I knew all too well. I didn't like the sound of her tone, but I kept my mouth shut and took a deep breath.

"Okay."

"I've been getting some strange…feelings again."

"What do you mean?" I asked as I sat up but she pressed me back and gave me the look again.

Once she was satisfied that I wouldn't jump out of bed, she continued.

"Well, like a sixth sense feeling, like I am being watched or something. I couldn't put my finger on it but I've noticed it the past couple of weeks. And I haven't really felt that since…" She stopped then and looked away and then back at me.

"And then today I really noticed it when I took Eric to the park after work."

This time I did sit up and I looked at her seriously. "What do you mean?" I asked as evenly as I could.

"I felt like…I don't know, like we were being watched or something. And I know it's not possible but I could have sworn I saw…"

"Saw who?" I pressed her.

"Saw James." She whispered, and the air was sucked out of my chest. "But I know that's not possible because he's in prison for what…twenty years or something like that?" She continued.

"Fuck." I muttered. I tried to calm my nerves as I thought it through. She was right. He was in prison for at least twenty years. But maybe something happened, maybe he was let out on good behavior or some stupid shit like that.

"I'll look into it." I said as evenly as possible. "But let me know immediately if you feel or see anything else."

She nodded. "I will baby. I just thought…" She shrugged. "You know, maybe I was imagining it or overreacting because of everything recently."

I nodded and pulled her closer. Our bubble of distraction instantly evaporated and the tension in my body returned.

We held each other for a moment as we realized we couldn't just ignore this forever. Tomorrow our son would be back and tomorrow, I needed to step up my game plan a bit. I couldn't deny the reason for the return of my old self and I had to start accepting the fact that I _could_ do something about the entire situation.

As we settled in to sleep, I mapped out just exactly what I needed to find out and from who. But as my eyes drifted shut and I succumbed to my dreams I kept thinking about the man on the beach and the things he said.

*&^%$#

" _Cullen we have your next assignment…if you're up for it." Fortnight's voice echoed in my ear. My side throbbed but I had been at my parents for a week and I was already restless. I was ready to be back in the field again._

" _Of course I'm up for it. What's the target?"_

" _One of Volturi's men escaped last night. Took out two guards, left a trail of shit behind him and the Director wants to keep it quiet. We think someone might have been working with them on the inside to tip them off."_

" _So he's out? Who was it? Where do they think he was headed?" I sat up and was immediately awake. The pain in my side no longer throbbed and I was intent on my next mission._

" _It was one of yours. That's why I wanted to offer it to you first. If you're up for it that is…"_

" _I'm fine Peter." I cut him off._

" _Good. Now, let's get down to business. We think he's left the country and we think it might actually be best to let him get complacent for a few days. We're pretty sure where he went anyway. You would just have to locate him when you get there."_

 _I grabbed my jeans and my t-shirt and threw them on quickly. I was already tossing things in a duffle before Peter asked the next thing. I stepped out of my room and met my mother in the hallway. She gave me a knowing look as Peter talked of potential contacts and orders._

 _Her eyes locked with mine as he asked the next question._

" _Cullen how soon can you leave?"_

 _Without breaking her gaze, I answered. "Immediately."_

" _Good." He said, but as the word left his mouth my mother's eyes closed and she took a deep breath. I sighed and moved to pass her in the hall but she grabbed my arm on the way._

" _Where am I headed?" I finally asked as my mother and I silently communicated with each other through our eyes. She didn't want me to go and I couldn't wait to leave—anything to avoid being here, being surrounded by him, by memories, by my weaknesses._

" _Brazil."_

" _Very well." And with that I closed my phone and removed her hand from my arm before walking away._

I blinked at the rain pounding on the window before me. The memory ran over and over in my mind as I stared out of my office in lower Manhattan. With each drop, details became clearer and clearer.

A jailbreak. One of Volturi's men. My mission to Brazil.

 _Was it all somehow linked?_

I tapped my fingers on my desk and watched the lines of the rain.

 _Rookies are hard to train in._

The man's words ran through my head as they had since Saturday night.

What did that mean? I was practically a rookie when I went to Brazil. It was only my second mission and I knew I had a few mishaps when I was there, but nothing fatal to the mission.

And was Raven really out? Did the jailbreak comment have something to do with that? My stomach rolled as I thought of him out there and possibly after Bella. I had been uneasy since Saturday night but I pushed it away. I couldn't think about it, I couldn't think of my fear. I had to act instead.

I pondered all of it for a moment longer until I finally made a decision. I hit the speakerphone and dialed the same number I dialed a few weeks ago.

"Director Fortnight's office."

"Agent Cullen for Director Fortnight please."

"One moment."

I waited on the line as the rain picked up against the window.

"Agent Cullen, how are you?"

" _Director._ I'm fine." There was a long pause as I let him wonder why I was calling.

"What can I do for you Cullen?"

"I have some questions for you."

"Go on."

 _Where to start?_

"How long does James Raven have on his sentence?"

Silence met me on the other end of the phone and I set my jaw as I watched the rain.

"About that…Edward."

 _Edward?_ I knew that inflection.

"About what? How long?"

"Well. Raven has some…good lawyers."

"What aren't you telling me Fortnight?" I could feel my blood start to boil as I spun around and put my hands on my desk.

Just then there was a knock at the door and before I could respond it opened.

My eyes locked with Agent Morgan's as he stepped inside and closed the door behind him. I could see him clutching a piece of paper. His face was set in a hard line as well and he could probably see the tension radiating off of me.

"Fortnight?" I said through gritted teeth.

He sighed on the other end of the phone as Garrett shook his head.

"Fuck!" I slapped my hand on the desk. "What the hell happened?" I roared and began to pace next to the window.

Garret walked over and handed me the paper as I looked at it. It was a print-out showing a formal release for James Raven and the terms of his parole. I asked him to look into it as soon as I got in only a few hours before.

"Edward. You knew this was a possibility."

"A possibility!" I shouted this time, the tension bubbling over. "Do I have to remind you that this man almost killed my wife!" The anger was pulsing through my body and I could feel myself heating from the inside out.

"Edward…"

But I didn't let him continue.

"He's dangerous. She thinks she saw him on Saturday and I didn't even know he was out. Now what am I supposed to do. How the fuck did this happen? He's supposed to be in for twenty years!" I hit the desk again as I saw Garrett's eyebrows raise at my comments.

"You're a lawyer Edward. You know that if a greater charge gets dismissed then it can change his sentence. He appealed the racketeering charge and his term was reduced. He was let out based on the guidelines for time served and good behavior. There was nothing we could do." His voice was cold and stern and it took everything in me to keep from blowing up again.

My mind raced over what this meant. Raven was out, he could be after Bella. Raven had ties to the Volturi, to other underground I might not even know of yet. My family truly wasn't safe.

 _And_ I couldn't help but think there was something else going on recently, either related to Volturi, or my grandfather, or one of my previous missions.

We were both silent for over a minute. But I knew he was there. I could hear him breathing on the other end of the line.

"Edward you should know there are ongoing appeals on A.V. as well."

Fuck.

I clenched my jaw as my mind raced through everything.

"I'm coming down there." I finally said.

"Edward…" He sighed.

"Don't fuck with me on this Peter. I will not let you endanger my family anymore. I want some answers." Somehow my tone remained even but it was deadly. One I had surely resurrected only recently.

He sighed again and I looked up at Garrett.

"I won't be here for the remainder of the week. I'm leaving today." I knew what that meant: a takedown somewhere. But he surely couldn't say that over the phone.

"When are you getting back?" I asked impatiently.

"The 13th."

"I'll be there the 14th."

"Agent Cullen." He admonished.

"Peter." I chided.

"Fine. I needed to speak to you about something anyway." That perked my ears but I didn't care at the moment. I was pissed and determined.

"I'll see you then." I hung up the phone without another word and Garrett and I locked eyes again.

"I think we need to talk to someone." Garrett finally said.

I nodded in agreement. Without another thought, I dialed another number, but this time from my secure cell phone. I was done with this. No waiting around, no waiting on the FBI or Fortnight or anyone else. This time I was putting my own reinforcements at work for me. I wasn't going to let the agency fuck with it. I was taking charge, putting in my own surveillance and taking care of this myself.

The phone rang and a low quiet voice came on the other end.

"Hey man do you know who this is?"

"Yeah."

"Can you come in to meet with me?"

"What about?"

"It appears we have some developments with some old acquaintances."

 **XXXX**


	5. Chapter 4- August Heat

_**Chapter Four: August Heat**_

 **"** _ **Tonight, Tonight" by Smashing Pumpkins**_

 _ **~Bella Cullen~**_

Monday, Monday.

I hated Mondays. I was generally a pretty positive person. But the summer had been sweltering since the Fourth of July and being eight months pregnant only made it worse. Edward was so good about telling me I was beautiful, but at this point I sure didn't feel it. I could barely fit into my shoes, my ankles and fingers were swollen and I felt like I was retaining enough water to have kept the Titanic afloat.

Without the whole iceberg thing that is.

I looked at the clock and realized it was only a little after ten. I wanted nothing more than to go home to my nice cool house and play with my son. But instead I was at work. I still loved my job, but for the first time in over ten years I couldn't wait to go on leave.

It wasn't my boss's fault per se, or even my fault. No it was the fault of the Board who was persuaded by Lauren Mallory's mother that she should be hired on again.

Cripes.

I thought she wasn't done with school until December. But to my dismay, she was allowed to intern and work "part-time" until she completed her degree. In my opinion that was code for "I have credit card debt" and "my parents pissed away my college tuition." For as much as her parents flaunted their alleged money, I knew they weren't as well off as they liked people to think.

Funny how it worked that way.

Thank goodness she was assigned to another department, but I still had to deal with her giving me the evil eye at meetings and passing in the hallways. I didn't tend to like confrontation and I definitely didn't need it right now.

No, right now I just wanted my yoga pants and a really cold beer.

Only one of which I could have.

Sighing, I pushed myself out of my chair and waddled to the water cooler in the hallway. I heard a nasally voice and turned my head.

 _Speak of the devil_.

Lauren was at one of the new communications' assistant's desk gossiping about something. I was hot, tired and crabby and I didn't want to deal with her.

I could hear her whispering something under her breath and I glanced over out of the corner of my eye.

"I don't know what he sees in her. She's so plain," she sneered.

The assistant looked away and shrugged. I could tell she knew I was standing there. But of course Lauren, the little brat, had her back to me so she kept going.

"You know my parents are good friends with his. Now that I'm almost done with school, Mother says I should give it a chance."

The hairs on the back of my neck prickled and I fumed internally. Maybe it was my crazy hormones or the fact that I felt like a whale and completely insecure.

Or maybe it was just that Lauren was an evil little bitch.

 _There I said it. So what._

Regardless, I slammed the cover on my water bottle and walked to the front of the room.

"Ms. Mallory, don't you have work to do in your own department?" I put a hand on my hip and gave her a harsh glare.

"Nope Miss Swan, I was just on break." She stood up and smoothed her skirt over her bony frame and gave me a vicious smirk.

"It's Cullen. And don't you forget it," I shot back.

"Whatever." She waved her hand dismissively and turned to walk out.

Just as she was about to reach for the door, it swung open from the other side instead.

Lauren stumbled and attempted to catch herself. She twisted her feet and caught her heel on the rug and fell to the floor with a thud.

My anger immediately turned to laughter and I had to cover my mouth to hide my entirely unprofessional response.

"Are you alright, Miss?" The man coming through the door held his hand out for her and she gave him a smarmy smile as she reached for it.

"I am now." She batted her eyelashes suggestively and I had to contain my snort instead.

"How charming," he oozed, and my creep radar started throwing off warning signals.

"Can I help you with something?" I interrupted in an attempt to break up the disgusting flirtfest. The man had to be thirty years older than her for crying out loud.

His eyes rose to me and I sucked in a breath. He looked eerily familiar, yet I couldn't place him. The devious grin that crossed his face only made me more uneasy and I could see Lauren huff at the smile he was giving me.

"That depends," he finally said. "Are you Bella Cullen?"

"I am." I swallowed and tried to remain cool.

 _Who was this man?_

"I have a message for you."

"From?" I quirked an eyebrow at him.

"My boss. Mr. Frederico wanted me to deliver it personally."

 _Interesting._

"Let's go to my office." I gestured, and Lauren huffed in annoyance again.

 _Please._

I shot her a look again and finally she left, slamming the door behind her. I wished I could bring up her behavior with her supervisor, but I knew that Lauren's mother was close with her supervisor as well.

I led the man back to my office and gestured for him to have a seat before taking my own behind my desk.

"What was your name again, sir?"

"Ah, how impolite of me. My name is Manuel. I am Mr. Frederico's…uh…personal assistant." He smiled as though he knew something I didn't.

I studied him for a moment, noting the black hair, expensive suit and dark skin. Something smelled funny with the whole situation, but I couldn't place it.

I couldn't place him, and it bothered me.

"What can I do for you Manuel?"

"Mr. Frederico would like to inquire about additional promotions and funding for the Santorini exhibit."

"In what regard?"

Manuel pulled out a manila envelope and slid it across my desk. I stared at it for a moment before picking it up and flipping it open.

Then my eyes bulged out of my head as I looked at the proposal before me.

"I don't understand. Is there something wrong with how we've set up the exhibit?"

"Wrong, no. However, Mr. Frederico believes it could be better—with your help of course."

"How so?"

"Once the exhibit has completed its tour here it is assigned to go back to the National Archives in Greece. But Mr. Frederico would like for it to stay here. In fact, he has brokered a deal with the Greek government—you know how bad their economy is right now," he half-joked.

I raised an eyebrow at him, but he continued.

"Mr. Frederico would like you to be in charge of the project."

"Is this a job offer?" I inquired.

Manuel chuckled. "I know it's a bit uncouth to come into one's place of employment with such correspondence, but you seem to be rather…err…guarded most other times."

A shiver ran up my spine, but I knew it wasn't because of the cold. What was this man asking?

"I'm not sure what you're implying," I said tightly.

"Nothing bad Mrs. Cullen. It's just that you seem to have all of the right connections and Mr. Frederico only wants the best. He would like to have approached you personally, but he found that to be somewhat of a…difficulty shall we say."

His eyes flashed with something and I ruminated over what he could have meant.

 _Edward._

Somehow this has something to do with my husband. But as far as connections, I didn't have many outside my family.

Before I could think about it more, Manuel stood up and walked to the door.

"Think about the offer Mrs. Cullen. I believe it may be worth your while. Or at the very least, the most prudent course of action."

 _Prudent?_

With the last of his strange words, Manuel opened the door and left.

My breathing picked up as I sat at my desk and stared ahead.

 _Was that a threat? Take the job, or what? Would he do something to me? My family?_

I looked through the proposal again and everything appeared to be on the up and up. But something about the entire conversation didn't sit right. I was only in communications; I wasn't in fundraising or even in the department that researched and contracted for the new exhibits. I didn't have any connections.

Outside of my family.

Or was it my family _heritage_ , that dirty little secret that we kept under the rug.

I quickly put the folder in my work bag, knowing I would show it to Edward that evening.

Then I tried to go back about my day as though I hadn't just received a veiled threat. At my work place, my second home, no less.

*&^%$#

"Psst." I was furiously typing on my computer, the work week was almost over and I couldn't wait to go home. I was off for the afternoon since I only worked 20 to 25 hours per week.

When I looked up, I saw a smiling Edward standing at the doorway and my face returned his grin.

"Hey, what are you doing here?"

"Surprising you." He smiled and walked in.

On Monday night he was more than upset when I told him about my little visit. Yet he hadn't seemed surprised either. He told me that Frederico was being "looked into", whatever that meant.

I knew Edward had upped the ante lately. He was often on the phone with his contacts in the FBI well into the evening. He had been working out more and going to the shooting range. I wanted to tell him to relax, but part of me knew he was right. Since James had been released and we'd had the suspicious run-ins of late, an ominous feeling had settled around us not unlike four years prior.

But we refused to not live our lives anyhow.

Which was why Edward was in my office at noon on a Friday.

"I'm taking you out for our anniversary." He smiled as he walked over to lean against the desk.

My face lit up and I grinned at him. "Really? Where are you taking me, Agent Cullen?"

"That's for me to know and you to find out," he snickered.

Edward leaned down then and placed his hand on my chin, tipping my face up to see his. He pressed a kiss to my lips and I sighed as he ran his fingers through my hair. I still loved it every time he did that.

"Happy Anniversary, Liefje." He pressed another kiss to my temple and then helped me out of my chair. Luckily I was dressed casually since it was Friday and Edward was in a t-shirt and jeans.

Apparently he had taken the day off and taken Eric out to my father and Sue's place and they were watching him for the night and next morning.

I shut down my computer, grabbed my bag and keys and we were soon walking to the parking lot. Edward held my hand the whole way as we descended the steps. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Lauren Mallory and a girl from her department seemingly walking back from lunch. She looked at us and I grumbled under my breath as she all but undressed Edward with her eyes.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing," I mumbled.

"Liefje?"

My eyes glanced at Lauren and Edward followed my gaze.

"Is that the Mallory girl?" he inquired, and I just nodded as we reached the end of the stairs.

"Hi Edward!" she simpered and I huffed.

Edward pulled me closer to him and looked down at her. "Do I know you?"

Her eyes flashed with anger and I had to hold in my laugh.

"Um…I'm…Lauren," she stuttered and tried to find her words.

"Sorry. Doesn't ring a bell." He shrugged, and then put his hand on my hip.

"C'mon, Liefje, I have our entire day…and night planned." He said a little too huskily and I had to bite the side of my mouth to avoid laughing again.

We walked away from the building and left a slack jawed Lauren standing halfway up the steps.

I busted out laughing once we were far enough away and I almost couldn't catch my breath.

"Oh my God. Edward! That was…just…" I shook my head and smiled up at him as led me to the passenger side door.

"Pretty funny?" I could see him raise an eyebrow behind his Ray Bans and I laughed.

"Yeah, the best thing I've seen in weeks."

"Well, anything to get you to smile like that, Liefje. You've seemed kind of off lately." His previously joking tone morphed into one of concern as he pressed his hands to my hips and looked down at me.

"I'm sorry, I just feel…you know." I shrugged.

"I don't know. Why don't you tell me?"

I sighed and put my hands on his chest, my protruding belly making it so we could barely embrace. "I'm not exactly feeling very attractive lately…and then Lauren is always saying and doing things like that." I shrugged.

Edward pulled off his sunglasses and slipped them in the top of his shirt. Then he put my face in his hands and tipped it up so I could look at him. He was so unbelievably beautiful, and I was usually just fine with my looks, but lately I didn't feel nearly up to par with him.

"Liefje, I want you to listen to me and listen really well."

I nodded as his jade eyes bored into mine.

"You are the most stunning woman I have ever met. You are not only beautiful on the outside, but even more on the inside. I can honestly say that I have never met anyone as beautiful and sexy as you are and you've completely enraptured me since the day we met."

My eyes filled with tears and my lip quivered.

 _Damn hormones._

Edward leaned in then and put one hand on the side of my stomach and I could smell him—all cool, refreshing and pure man. "Truthfully, when you're pregnant, knowing it's my child that's growing inside you, it takes every ounce of my willpower not to rip your clothes off every time you walk in the door," he murmured.

I sucked in a breath and my heart rate quickened. The man could take me from a weepy mess to a blazing inferno in seconds.

His fingers stroked my cheek and I wet my lip with my tongue.

"Can I kiss you now?"

"Yeah," I responded breathily. _You can do way more than kiss me but we might get arrested if you do it here_.

Edward leaned down and pressed his lips to mine as he moved his hand down my cheek to the back of my neck and brought me against him. The hand blocked from passersby moved from my belly, up my side and lightly grazed my breast as our tongues met. I groaned and threw my arms around his shoulders as we deepened the kiss and he pressed me against the car.

When we finally slowed, and realized exactly where we were standing, my head was in a daze.

Edward placed another chaste kiss on my lips and smirked at me.

"Feel better?" He quirked an eyebrow.

"Oh yeah," I sighed, "thank you."

"It's true. Don't ever forget it." He smiled and then leaned right next to my ear. "And when we get home later, I am going to show you just how sexy I think you are…over and over again."

I trembled and fisted his shirt as he chuckled against me.

With one more quick kiss, he opened the door behind me and helped me in. I was caught between a place of bliss and desire. He always knew exactly what to say to me—and then I wanted to rip _his_ clothes off because of it.

Edward started up the car and I looked up at the steps as we pulled out of the parking lot. Still standing on the steps was Lauren Mallory with her arms crossed.

"Did you know she was standing there?" I asked.

"Maybe." He grinned and I just laughed, loving his devious streak.

"Where are you taking me?" I finally asked as he pulled out of the parking lot.

"You'll see." He smiled and then revved the engine as we sped away.

*&^%$#

Three hours later we were sitting in box seats at the Yankees game and I was perfectly content. It finally cooled down that day and the sun was just behind the edge of the stadium. I was mere feet away from Jeter, Cano, Rodriguez and the rest of the players, and I was absolutely ecstatic. I wasn't sure what else Edward had planned, but box seats at the game and an afternoon with just him was all I needed.

As the game ended and we climbed up the stands, Edward pulled me behind him.

"Where to next husband?" I teased.

"That's for me to know and you to find out, Mijn Vrouw," he teased back. Once we were in the car he went in a completely different direction from our home. We pulled up to a strange building down by the water. I wasn't sure what it was, but it looked like some sort of transport center.

Edward led me inside and we walked up to a counter.

"The Cullen party is here."

"Yes, Mr. Jimenez will be here shortly."

"Jiminez?"

Edward shrugged and my heart skipped a beat.

 _It couldn't be._

I gave Edward a wide-eyed look and he snickered.

"Edward, what exactly are we doing here?"

Suddenly I could hear a roaring sound and watched in awe as a helicopter set down outside on a tarmac.

We were at a helipad.

And walking through the door was Eleazar Jimenez.

 _What the hell?_

"Um, Edward?"

Before he could respond, he simply squeezed my hand and pulled me ahead.

"Edward!" The man walked forward and threw his arms around my husband as I clutched Edward's hand.

"It's so good to see you. You're well, si?" He said in a thick Spanish accent.

"I am. In fact, very well, thank you Eleazar."

"And who might this enchanting lady be?" He raised an eyebrow at Edward and looked at me.

But instead of being creeped out, I was in awe. Eleazar Jimenez was an international billionaire. He was known as a dare devil, trying all sorts of adventures such as climbing Mount Everest, hang gliding over the Grand Canyon and doing death defying jumps out of airplanes. He was like the Spanish Richard Branson.

And apparently he knew my husband—personally.

"This is my beautiful wife, Bella. So don't you get any ideas old man," Edward jabbed.

I offered my hand and Eleazar lifted it and kissed the back. I had to contain a giggle. He was charming, and completely harmless to me. Surely he could charm the pants off of many a woman—and surely he had in his day. But he was at least sixty with silvering black hair and a bright white smile set in his tan face.

"And a bambino I see. Edward you've been busy since I saw you last."

Edward smiled and put his arm around me. "It's actually a bambina, and we have a three year old son as well. You could say we've been busy." He joked.

"Ah, such a cheeky young man still."

"Well, I learned from the best."

"What's the saying? Pot meet kettle. I think that makes me the kettle then." Eleazar smiled but then gestured for us to follow him. "Come, the heli is all ready."

We followed Eleazar to the helipad and I looked at Edward in question. He simply shrugged and squeezed my hand.

Soon we were flying above the city, the skyline painted with reds and oranges and hues of the early evening. It was breathtaking. I always thought those helicopter rides over the city were somewhat of a tourist trap, but it was amazing. Or perhaps it was our colorful tour guide that made it as such.

Eleazar wasn't even from New York, yet he knew the city like the back of his hand. He had a penthouse on Central Park and actually owned the helipad. I surmised that he and Edward somehow met through one of Edward's missions and I knew I would have to inquire about that later.

We floated above the city until my stomach growled and we had to reluctantly bring our ride to an end.

After finishing our evening at a quaint little Italian place in our neighborhood, Edward and I walked hand in hand from our car as we entered our building.

"Oh." I grabbed my side as we ascended in the elevator. "That was a good one."

"She must be upset that she has less room after dinner," Edward teased.

I rolled my eyes at him. "I know, I'm a house. You don't have to remind me," I grumbled.

Edward's eyes softened and he turned me to look at him. "Liefje, I can't say it enough, but you look amazing. I'm going to miss this so much. I love how you look. I love when you're pregnant." He pulled me close and kissed below my ear.

I sighed and leaned against him. I thought I got through it earlier, but ask any other woman who is 36 weeks pregnant. You feel fat, not glowing. All the same, I couldn't deny that Edward always made me feel beautiful and loved.

"Like I told you earlier, if you don't believe what I say, I will just have to show you." He pulled back and gave me a devilish grin as the elevator dinged at our floor.

I chuckled as he pulled me by the hand and into our home. I set my purse on the side table as I felt his arms around my waist. Hot lips sucked on my neck and a tingle ran up my spine at the contact.

My body instantly reacted as it always did to him, but even quicker after our warm up earlier in the day.

I reached my hand around to pull his mouth to mine for a kiss. It was slow, deep and sensual as Edward massaged his hands up and down my body, never touching my breasts or between my legs but touching so close it made me tremble with need.

Wordlessly, we moved our way down the hall to our bedroom where Edward put on some music and turned the lights to a low dim setting. He was at once behind me and trailing his fingers over my collarbone, down my arm and along my protruding belly as he slipped my shirt over my head. I sighed as he massaged the week from my muscles and leaned into his hands.

His hands; God, he had talented hands. In a matter of no time I was panting and moaning against him as he used his fingers to toy with my sensitive nipples and graze through my pussy.

I could feel him against my ass, rock hard and barely contained in his jeans. He rubbed along me and I moaned again. "Feel that, Liefje. You make me want you so fucking much when you look like this. It's my child you're carrying, it's a part of me that's inside your belly and you give up so much to do it for me, for our family. How could I not want you even more for that?"

"Oh Edward," I croaked as he emphasized his words by thrusting his fingers into me.

I felt us slowly moving toward the bed. Edward laid me down as he quickly stripped out of his clothes before covering my body with his.

"I'm going to make you believe me, Liefje. I'm going to make you realize how incredibly, unbelievably, undeniably sexy you are." He punctuated each word with a kiss to my abdomen.

My hands found his hair as he kissed every inch of my upper body and caused me to moan, sigh and writhe with need.

Edward's lips and hands moved down my sides, over my hips, across my pelvis, until they were trailing down my leg. My hands fisted the sheets beside me, not knowing where else I could place them, but needing the grip. I was aching, absolutely aching by the time he made his way back up my legs.

"Fuck, you're so wet Bella." A long stroke of his tongue followed his words and I cried out and once again tugged at his hair.

Frenzied lips and hands worked me over until I was screaming out Edward's name.

"Hmmm. That's one. I think I promised you many," he whispered huskily into my ear.

 _He's going to kill me._

I pulled him to me for a kiss, feeling the need to have him close and surround me. I missed being able to be completely skin to skin with him due to my size.

We lost ourselves for an endless amount of time just kissing and touching and caressing until Edward used his fingers to bring me to climax again.

Without so much as a breath, he turned me around and propped me on my knees as he slipped inside me. Then he pulled me back so his chest was flush with my back and his arms were completely around me, hands roaming and touching every part of me.

It was as if he read my mind and knew my need to be close to him.

He pushed us up and pulled me down tighter each time until I was on the brink again. I could feel every muscle in his body holding me, thrusting his body in time with mine and simply loving me the way no other man could.

"Fuck, Liefje, I need you to come again," he growled and thrust deeply into me again. He used one hand to pinch my nipple as the other rubbed my clit slowly.

"Yes, oh fuck. Edward, please." I reached back and roughly grabbed his hair.

At my begging he picked up his pace, our bodies slick with sweat and my own hair a wild mess. He attached his lips to my ear and it instantly sent me reeling. Somewhere in the haze of the most powerful orgasm I'd had in ages, I felt him thrust twice more before spilling inside me.

"Ah, ik hou van je, Bella, Bella, Bella. Christ, I love you."**

He sighed and wrapped his arms around me as he pulled me down beside him on the bed. We lay there with the city lights illuminating the room around us. Edward gently rubbed his arms over mine and placed kisses along my shoulder and neck. I melted against him, feeling absolutely sated and relaxed.

"I love you, Bella. Happy Anniversary," Edward whispered.

I turned my head and reached up to put my hand on his face as I kissed him. I just stared into his dark green eyes, wondering how in the world I ever got so lucky to meet him. My soul mate, my other half, my husband, the father of my children and truly the best man I had ever met.

"I love you more than I can say, Edward. Thank you for such a wonderful day."

With that we sighed into one another and drifted off to sleep.

*&^%$#

"You'll be back before dinner?" I asked him as he packed his bag.

Edward sighed and cringed. "Yes. I'm not letting him talk me into anything."

I knew Edward was ticked at Director Fortnight, but I also knew he was unwaveringly loyal and I worried what Fortnight might want to speak with him about.

It was Saturday morning and I was sitting on our bed as he grabbed the last of his things. He was dressed in a dark gray suit, oxford and no tie. He wanted to be professional but didn't necessarily want to treat it as a full out business meeting.

He said he didn't want to give Fortnight the satisfaction, or any indication that he _wanted_ to do something more than the position he was already in.

The trouble was, he was invaluable to the FBI. We knew it, they knew it, and I had never lost sight of the fact that there could be that potential mission out there that could call him back.

"I'm sure everything will be fine," I said reassuringly.

I walked Edward to the door and gave him a kiss. It was pretty early, but we were both up as we were used to our son rising early.

Edward wrapped his arms around me and sighed as he kissed my head. "You're going to pick up Eric and then you'll be back in time to meet me?" he questioned.

He was worried about leaving for the day, but I just squeezed him back. "We'll be fine baby, don't worry."

"Maybe I should have the Captain escort you back," he rambled.

 _My damn overprotective husband._

"Edward," I admonished, "we'll be fine."

Finally he took a deep breath and gave me one more kiss. "I love you. Call me when you leave Brooklyn."

I nodded and pressed my fingers to his chest one more time before he walked out the door.

 _If only I would have known how right he had been._

*&^%$#

I hopped in our Range Rover after securing Eric in his car seat. He babbled in the back as I navigated our way to Brooklyn through Saturday morning traffic. Considering how far it was it shouldn't have taken as long as it did.

When I pulled up in front of Charlie's I noticed not only Sue's car out front, but Leah's as well. Apparently we were having an impromptu family dinner.

My relationship with Leah had improved immensely. We still weren't what I would consider close, but we definitely had a better relationship than we had in our younger years. I think age helped us both bury the hatchet and move on.

"Dad! Sue!" I called out as I ushered Eric in. He immediately chased off after his cousins as I found my Dad and Sue in the kitchen. Somehow Sue had convinced my father to learn how to cook. They had even taken a cooking class in the past couple of years. She thought it was a good way for them to spend time together and then he wouldn't starve when she had to work the night shift as a nurse.

"Hi Bella." Sue smiled warmly and I gave my Dad a kiss on the cheek as I put the dessert I brought in the fridge.

The weather was still warm so we proceeded out back to the patio. The house had changed a lot as well in the last couple of years. Long paid for, my father started to renovate it. Of course Sue's touch was all over the place. It looked amazing and I was so happy for both of them.

The sun rose high in the sky as we settled in to laughing at the boys and enjoying Dad and Sue's ribs.

I leaned back in my chair, quickly full considering Lucy didn't give me much room.

"Full already Bella?" My Dad questioned.

"She just takes up too much space."

"I still can't believe it. I don't know what I'm going to do with a granddaughter," my father mumbled and harrumphed and I shot him a teasing glance.

"Probably be completely overprotective, just like her father will be."

"Damn straight," he huffed and dove back into his ribs. I took a sip of water and just smiled at everyone enjoying their meal. The Swan-Clearwater clan had truly become a family after Dad and Sue got married. Leah was doing well at her job at Reycon and her new boyfriend even seemed pretty nice, though I didn't know him well.

"What department are you in again Leah?" Dad asked and broke my thought process.

"International marketing. Since I speak Spanish fluently I've been able to move up pretty quickly."

My father nodded, but I could tell he was thinking about something. Dinner progressed, but I kept an eye on my father's more quiet than usual demeanor.

Once the food was sparse and everyone's belly was full, I began to clear the plates. I hummed as I rinsed the dishes to fill the dishwasher and looked up as I heard the screen door open from the back.

My dad shuffled in with the last of the plates and quickly grabbed the ones in my hand.

"Let me get that. You shouldn't be straining yourself."

I rolled my eyes. "I'm fine Dad, in fact, I wouldn't mind getting this one moving. I can't believe I have a month left."

My Dad filled the dishwasher as I handed him plates, but I could tell he was quietly contemplating something.

I could hear the screeches of the kids running through the sprinkler in the back yard and my father snuck a peek at them before he closed the dishwasher to run it.

"Bella, I need to tell you something. It's something that I probably should have brought up earlier, but there's never really been a good time after everything…" he trailed off and I knew what he was talking about.

After my kidnapping, my injuries and my escape.

"Dad, if you're worried about me protecting myself you know I can handle it."

I thought back on the months after Eric was born. I'd convinced my father to take me to the shooting range and help me get licensed to carry a handgun. I didn't have one because I didn't want one with Eric in the house, but I definitely knew how to use one. I'd also taken several martial arts and self defense classes, much to Edward's dismay. Yet the both of them still thought they had to protect me.

But I needed to protect myself first and foremost.

Before I could get lost in my thoughts again, my father shook his head and pulled me back.

"That's not what, I'm talking about. Though with the recent change of circumstances, I'm glad you did what you did."

He blew out a breath and then leaned back against the counter to take a sip of his beer.

"There are some…things…that I have never shared with you that I want you to have. I wanted to let some time pass after everything with Edward's grandfather. But now that you are pregnant with Lucy and you've had these recent developments. I'm starting to think that was the wrong way to handle it."

"What kind of things?" I questioned.

"There's a safety deposit box down at the bank. It contains a life insurance policy as well as several of your grandmother's journals and a few other keepsakes. It's mostly things she wanted you to have, but the policy is one she took out on me when you were born, just in case anything would happen to me."

I nodded in understanding. We were insured to our eyeballs like most people these days. Edward and I had insurance policies on all of us and everything we owned.

"Okay. What do you want me to do with them?" I asked curiously.

"After Lucy's born, I'd like you to come take a look at everything. Make sure you get what you want and the rest I'll likely just put in storage. I don't think the box is necessary anymore."

"Okay. Hey Dad…" I paused thinking about his shift during our conversation before. "Is everything okay? I noticed you got a bit tense when Leah mentioned her department earlier."

"Everything's fine Bella," my Dad said with a straight face. But this wasn't the kind that said he didn't know anything; it was the face that he gave when he meant "don't ask."

I just nodded as he patted my shoulder and walked back outside. I knew Edward and my father talked frequently as they were both hypersensitive about our protection, but sometimes it irritated me. I wished they would just keep me in the loop. Yet at the same time, they both had to keep certain confidences for their jobs and I had to understand that.

The afternoon passed quickly and once the sun began to move behind the neighboring houses I loaded up Eric to head back to the city. He was exhausted, having not had his afternoon nap and passed out as soon as he was in his car seat.

The hour long drive back was probably good for both of us. I could let my mind work through everything from the past few weeks and he could sleep.

I turned onto the expressway and put my blinker on to change lanes when something in the mirror caught my attention.

There was a black car three cars back. It had slightly tinted windows and was entirely nondescript in many ways.

Except it looked a lot like an undercover car. I wasn't sure what drew my attention to it at first, but I decided to test out my intuition.

I changed lanes again and watched as the black car changed only seconds later.

Two more switches confirmed the fear bubbling up in my chest.

The car was following me.

I tried to reach for my cell phone in my purse to call my father or Edward. But then I realized I had tossed my purse in the backseat when I put Eric in his seat.

"Fuck," I muttered and quickly thought through what I should do.

Go home.

It was by far the safest place and if I rolled into a police station they would just think I was crazy. The garage was secure and I could call Charlie and Edward and have police at my door in seconds.

I quickly changed lanes again, noting the black car following my moves.

My breaths were shallow as I wound the car the rest of the way home and then sped down our street hitting the garage opener as fast as I could once I was in distance.

"Eric, baby wake up," I called out to him before I was even in the garage.

I drove through the doors and quickly parked the car in our parking space. My fingers quickly worked the buckles and snatched my keys as I hurried to get to the backseat.

I all but yanked Eric out of the back and he whimpered in his sleepy state. I felt terrible, but I was starting to freak out and needed to get us inside as soon as possible.

With my keys securely in my hand, bag over my shoulder and Eric's hand in my other I rushed us to the elevator.

And then I heard it.

Footsteps.

I didn't have to waste the time to look back to know they were coming after me.

My heart instantly started pounding as the footsteps grew closer to me. I picked up my pace and hurried to the elevator.

"Eric, baby can you hurry for me?" I said nervously as I all but dragged him along.

He looked at me with wide eyes, and I was trying my best not to scare him. But I couldn't lift him—hell maybe I would anyway.

Suddenly, I heard a second set of steps join the first and I started to panic. My breath quickened and I didn't think about it anymore. I just did it.

I leaned down and swooped up Eric, and took off as fast as I could for the elevator. Pregnant or not, none of us were safe. I could feel it. Just as I went through the glass doors, I pressed the button and swept Eric inside.

I turned just in time to see the sneer on the man's face through the glass. It was the same man who had called me by name a few weeks ago and a shudder ran through me. He turned to yell something at someone and my eyes followed his voice as the doors closed before me.

I could have sworn I saw dirty blonde hair take off for the stairwell and I didn't just start to panic.

I panicked.

 _James._

No.

My arms squeezed Eric tightly as the door shut and I held my breath. I could see the numbers climbing, until all of a sudden, the elevator stopped on seven.

I cringed and turned Eric to the corner as the doors opened, but no one was there.

And then the same thing happened on eleven.

And twelve.

And fourteen.

By the time we reached our floor my keys were trembling as the elevator dinged.

The door opened and my eyes met our door as I sucked in a breath.

No one was there.

But then I heard the stairwell door and I shot out of the elevator.

I could feel him closing in on us as I fumbled with the keys and shoved them into the door as fast as I could.

The door flew open and I all but threw Eric into the entry and turned to slam the door behind me.

A hand came between it and a grunt sounded from him.

"Now I've got you," he growled.

My heart raced at his voice and I put all my weight against the door and started hitting his hand with my keys.

"No! Eric! Go to your room and lock the door!" I screamed as I fought against the man. I did everything in my power to slam his hand between the door and the frame and continued jabbing at his hand.

"You bitch!" He cried out when I finally drew blood. I felt a slight ease in the door and let go just enough to slam it back against his hand again.

I heard an "oomph" from the other side as he slipped again. I kept shoving my shoulder into the door until I heard the sickening crunch of his fingers.

"Boom!" Suddenly the door slammed shut and I heaved against it.

Somehow my fingers quickly found the locks and I shakily turned them and the deadbolt. I barely entered the security code on the pad to the right before I slumped to the floor and leaned my head against the door.

It was only after a moment of sheer terror and relief that the sobs wracked through me. The adrenaline rushing through my body at the speed of a freight train was coming to a screeching halt. As a result, tears streamed down my face as my entire body convulsed and trembled.

I tried to take a deep breath but couldn't.

I tried again. Nothing.

And then fear raced through me for a whole other reason.

I gasped again and again.

 _Something wasn't right._

"Eric!" I called out, raspy, but my eyes started to get hazy and my heart was pounding so hard in my chest I thought it was going to explode.

I couldn't move. I couldn't breathe. My chest was tightening and fear ripped through my body.

 _Lucy._

I reached for my purse which had fallen to the floor and tried to grab my phone with one hand as the other clutched at my throat.

But I couldn't breathe.

I just kept thinking of our baby girl as I gasped and gasped, trying to suck in air.

 _Lucy._

Just as I pulled my phone from my purse a sharp pain ripped through my abdomen and I cried out and grabbed my stomach. My arm slipped from my reach and I fell to the side. My head hit the floor with a sickening thud as my phone flew across the ceramic tile of the hallway.

 _No!_

 _Lucy._

 _Eric._

 _Edward._

Then everything went black.

 *** &^%$#**

 **A/N:**

Ok, the Dutch:

 _ik hou van je_ = I love you

 _Liefje_ = Love

 _Mijn Vrouw_ = my wife

Zoonie = a changed name for Zoontje "which is sonny" it's explained in chap 1.

 _Mijn Schoonheid_ = My Beauty


	6. Chapter 5- Ghosts

_**Chapter Five: Ghosts**_

 _ **"Fall to Pieces" by Velvet Revolver**_

 _ **~Agent Cullen~**_

The train came to a stop in D.C. and I rubbed my temples. I had been mentally preparing myself during the trip, yet my mind was a mixture of questions, scenarios and anticipation. I wasn't sure why Director Fortnight wanted to meet with me. On the one hand I was concerned that another new development had taken place and he wanted to tell me about it first hand in an effort to keep me from leaving the Bureau. On the other, I was worried that he wanted me to come back in on a mission—something I was vehemently against.

As I shuffled out of the train and made my way out of Union Station to catch my ride to Virginia, I immediately spotted the agents awaiting me and flashed my badge discretely. They nodded, and without a word we were in the car and on our way.

It was a testament to my new state of mind. My nerves kept me on edge. I was close to being back to my previous agent state of watching and keeping a keen eye on everyone and everything around me. But it would never truly return to its full status, unless I went undercover again.

They were a blessing and a curse, my abilities. I had been tied to them for so many years, tied to a specific way of thinking, moving, feeling. I never realized how far detached I was from the real world until I entered back into it.

One could not live the life of both secret agent and family man. It just wasn't possible—regardless of how the movies made it seem. The two required different mindsets, different focuses, and I hadn't realized that until my train ride to D.C.

I was finally able to reflect on the past couple of months without interruption or work responsibilities intervening. My reflection revealed that in my efforts to become more like my old self, the agent, I had neglected my family to some extent.

Bella's insecurities were the perfect example of that. She never seemed to be unsure of herself or feel down, but I realized I hadn't been giving her the kind of attention I usually did—complimenting her, encouraging her, even simple touches—on a daily basis. I felt terrible and made it my point to completely devote myself to her the day before.

My words could not have been truer. I loved Bella and Eric more than anything on Earth. I loved that she wanted to have my children, that she and I had built a life together and that she loved me so seamlessly back. I honestly thought she was the most amazing woman on the planet.

The fact that I had been bad at showing it for the past month only made me feel worse about it. It was the cliché catch 22: I loved them so much I would do anything to protect them, but protecting them meant taking my time and concentration away from them.

Hopefully some of that would end after my meeting.

I sighed and noticed we were pulling into the gates to check in. After the routine scan through, I found myself walking into the same familiar lobby, past the same familiar desk and down the same winding hall of so many missions past.

This time when I stopped at Director Fortnight's door I was in a much different state than last time. I didn't want to know what the next phase of the mission entailed. I didn't care about bringing down the Draconi crime family or avenging my brother's death.

I cared about protecting my family; and that was it.

Knocking gave way to a greeting and I stepped through the door after exhaling a deep breath. I pursed my lips and put on a cool demeanor. If anything came of this meeting I was damn well going to get some answers.

"Peter." I nodded and his gray eyes shot to mine.

"Edward. It's good to see you." He walked around his desk and extended his hand in greeting. We weren't so much like a leader and a subordinate any more. If anything we were equally valuable to the FBI and I kept that thought in the back of my mind.

I had cards to work with.

"Have a seat Edward. Drink?" He walked to his credenza and opened the sliding door to pull out a bottle of scotch.

"Sure." It was noon in the world somewhere right?

As he poured the amber liquid, I took in his appearance. He looked older than the last time I saw him—much older. His face had aged what seemed like two decades in four years and his hair was a striking white now.

He looked tired, and almost ill. I knew he was pushing seventy but he was always in shape and distinguished looking. Now he just looked spent, as if his grueling years at one of the world's most powerful investigative organizations had finally gotten the best of him.

"How was the trip down?" He placed the scotch in my hand and gestured to the seat across from him.

"Are we really going to do this, Peter?" I raised an eyebrow in question.

"Edward," he sighed. "I think we both know why you're here."

"I know why I'm here—and you have some explaining to do for that. But what other reason might there be?" I challenged coolly.

He scratched the back of his neck and took a long pull from his drink before setting it on his desk.

"I'm not going to beat around the bush here. You are invaluable to this organization and I think you know that. I haven't always respected it, but I hope you realize that I know it as well."

"Peter, I didn't come here for recognition. So whatever you're trying to butter me up for, it isn't going to work."

"We used to be friends Edward. When did this become so difficult?" He sighed.

"When you lied to me about my brother," I spat. "As far as I am concerned we have never been _friends_ ," I emphasized. "That wipes away anything that could have been because everything I knew was under false pretenses." I fumed as I stood up and walked to his window.

"Cut the crap Cullen. You can't tell me that part of you didn't want to do it anyway, that the chase didn't thrill you. That the power you held in the palm of your hand wasn't at least a little bit intoxicating." He was now standing and eyeing me from behind his desk.

I swallowed another sip of scotch and it burned the whole way down, but for a different reason than the taste.

He was right, as much as I hated to admit it.

"It doesn't matter now anyway."

"Doesn't it?" He questioned. "If I said your country needed you, your fellow agents _needed_ you. It wouldn't have any affect? I think you're lying to yourself if you say that it wouldn't, Edward." He placed his hands on the desk and leaned over to peer at me, much like he did nearly fifteen years ago.

"I have obligations now. I have a family. I'm sorry if you can't understand that." I shot below the belt and he flinched. Peter had been married and divorced three times, with three children who he hardly spoke to.

We stood in silence for a few moments, both of us daring the other to back down. But I wouldn't. I was too good at the stare down.

I was too good at too many things and it scared the living crap out of me. Not only had his words resonated in my body, but they brought to life a part of me that I had worked so hard to suppress, a part of me that was perhaps the most essential quality to being a good agent, or investigator of any kind.

Curiosity.

So instead I went on the offensive. "Why didn't you tell me Raven was getting out of jail?"

Peter sighed and sat back down in his chair. "Would it have really changed anything? If he was going to come after you he would do it either way. You are already the most protective person I have ever met. Would it really have changed your actions or reactions?"

"It's about respect, Peter. If I'm so important to you, then you should have told me." I growled.

"I know and I'm sorry about that."

I stood there for a moment, shocked. In my time with the FBI I had never heard any apology come directly from him.

The tension in the room eased a bit and I sat back down in my chair and finished my drink. I set my glass on his desk as I leaned forward and looked at him. We eyed each other until this time I finally gave in to speak.

"What's going on Peter?"

He took a deep breath, his tired eyes looking down and then up at me.

"I'm sick. I'm retiring, and I have been asked to train in my replacement."

"No." I shook my head immediately.

"See I knew you were going to say that, so that's why I wasn't even going to bother asking," he chuckled halfheartedly.

I furrowed my brow in confusion and looked at him to explain.

"Someone else has been selected as a replacement, but there are a few…loose ends that the Bureau wants me to tie up before I'm done."

I leaned back and tapped my fingers in front of my face as he continued.

"Do you remember Brazil?"

"Of course I remember Brazil, I remember everything."

He smiled wryly and continued. "Yes. Well it appears there may be a connection with a certain someone who is up for parole, Romania and Brazil. In fact, there may be more to it than that as well. The connections may be further reaching and further back in time than we could have possibly imagined."

The intrigued part of me raised my eyebrows, though I tried to keep my interest at a minimum.

Aro Volturi. It always came back to him didn't it?

"We believe his sons are in Romania, possibly working with old remnants of the Draconi crime family. But there are others involved as well. Brazil for one and a potential old Italian connection."

"Italian? I was never stationed in Italy."

"I know, but that doesn't matter. Volturi is Italian and he still has extensive family and contacts there."

He drew a deep breath before continuing.

"As I mentioned on the phone, his appeals have been ongoing. But if what we believe is true, we might actually consider brokering a deal with him."

"You have got to be fucking kidding me!" I shouted.

"Calm down Edward and listen to me. Aro Volturi may have once been a famous 'Mobster of the Twentieth Century'," I raised my eyebrows at his reference and he responded. "Oh yes, I saw the papers. But it doesn't matter. His power has diminished greatly in the time he has been in prison. His organization is in shambles, numerous of his men have either been killed, imprisoned or are with other groups now. But it's his connections that have remained."

"What does this have to do with me?"

Peter gave me a look and I instantly knew where he was headed.

"Oh no, you can't possibly expect me to bring her into this." I spat.

"Not in the way you're thinking." He waved his hand in deflection. "It's more that I want you to work that angle, that connection. I want it to appear as though you're tight with him."

A deep breath bubbled up from my body as I started considering what he was saying.

Organized crime in several different countries which were linked and spanning several decades. It would be the biggest takedown since the Draconis and my grandfather. It would strike an arrow into the heart of the black market importers into the U.S. And it would send a message that the United States wasn't to be fucked with if we could get them on more than just our own continent.

Though we'd been doing that for years, just not at such a high level.

I sighed, angry at Peter for even asking me and angry at myself for even considering it.

"I can't do it Peter, I just can't. We have a baby on the way. Eric is three years old. What do you expect from me?"

"Edward, just think about it."

I shook my head, but he put up his hands in pleading as if to say "just give it more time."

Silence swept over the room and I knew we were finished.

 _How could he possibly expect this?_

I was done. There was no more undercover work for me. I had a wife and family—everything I ever wanted. I had my own family back.

Resolved, I grabbed my briefcase and turned for the door when I heard his low voice behind me.

"What did you say?" I asked, though I had heard him perfectly clearly.

"I said 'congratulations', Edward. You're a lucky man."

I nodded without turning to look at him and grasped the handle. But then I sighed and asked my own question that had been burning since he admitted his reason for being done.

"How long?"

I knew he would understand my question without even looking at him.

"I have six months, give or take."

Though I wanted to be angry with him, he played a significant part in much of my adult life. I couldn't deny that I still felt bad.

"What is it?"

"Pancreatic."

 _Shit, that's a bad one._

I sighed again before responding. "I'm sorry, Peter."

And with that, I opened the door and stepped into the hallway, likely to never see him again.

He and I both knew my words had more than one meaning.

*&^%$#

The train swayed along the track as my mind swarmed with thoughts.

Questions, decisions, remembrances of the past.

I wasn't sure what to make of what I learned from Director Fortnight. Though I had absolutely no intention of going back in the field, I couldn't help but recall my previous missions—specifically the ones prior to taking down the Draconis.

I had been stationed in Romania for two years, working the organization before I was sent to New York and my life was forever altered.

But before that, I was in Brazil, Spain, France, Greece and various parts of the U.S. My first mission was of course a small part in taking down Volturi himself, but my next most significant mission was Brazil. I never officially learned Portuguese, but it wasn't difficult to pick it up on the job. I was stationed in Rio for nearly six months when I moved to the capital, Brasilia. The target I was set to take down was heavily entwined with the Brazilian government—much like most of Brazil's most influential at the time.

His name was Johan Baricelli. He was a renowned ladies man, a collector, and he loved to wine, women and dine Brazilian aristocrats and government officials. We also had suspicions he had ties to Aro Volturi and may have even harbored his sons for a time.

Regardless, he was also the deadly head of the black market in South America. In fact he was the most ruthless and evil man I'd ever worked to take down. When he took out a member of another organization, he didn't just kill a man. He mutilated them. Like a man-eating lion, he tortured men for sport if they'd crossed him. His actions earned him his nickname: the Jaguar or the black hunter. He had coal black hair and coal black eyes which earned him his nickname.

And he hunted men much like I did but with far greater resources and much less precision or secretiveness.

You see, he wanted others to know exactly what he did to them.

As the train slowly rocked me to sleep, my thoughts drifted back to my first night in Brasilia and the first night I would actually meet him face to face.

" _Boa noite,_ _posso pegar seu casaco?" the butler at the large home greeted me._

" _Boa noites. Por favor, obrigado." I handed him my lightweight trench and smoothed out my lapels. It was the closest I had been to acting like James Bond in the flesh, and the first time I had been in anything so formal since my law school graduation._

 _I pushed down the urge to tug at my collar like a child. My monkey suit would have to make a regular appearance with this crowd._

 _It was my first solo mission since I joined the Bureau. Surely, I had been sent on kills by myself, but never completely alone when I went undercover. I had met with Liam in Rio and Eleazar gave a us a bank roll of funds to infiltrate their system._

 _I was an outcast from America—a white collar criminal looking to make it big in Brazil._

 _At least that's what I was saying._

 _My eyes scanned the room taking in each and every atttendant, exit, lighting, seat position, and threat._

 _Once a waiter handed me a drink I made my way to the fireplace area and sipped at my dirty martini._

 _I was alone, I's surmised I had to at least have some fun, even if the joke was only with myself._

 _My eyes settled on the painting above the mantle when I felt her presence._

 _I knew who she was. She was an angel and the devil incarnate all wrapped up in one. She was dressed entirely in red and her olive skin and jet black hair only made her look as dangerous and alluring as she meant._

 _She was_ his _mistress, and from the word on the street perhaps even more than that._

 _But she was also a pro at this game and had worked her way into and out of these circles across the globe before landing here._

 _I had to tread lightly, because for all of the experience I now had, I knew one thing, women were the beginning of the end of any mission. Never get involved with one of the organization's women._

" _You're new here." She said as she tipped back her glass. I watched as the red concoction moved down her throat and then tinged her lips pink. She was deadly and she knew it. But she might also be my way in._

" _I am." I smirked and took a sip from my glass._

" _I know because I am the one who invited everyone." She ran her finger over the glass, but rather than looking cheesy and movie-like, she looked like a vixen._

" _Is that so? Then you must know exactly who I am." I challenged and she raised an eyebrow at me._

 _She stepped closer, so that the heat from her body radiated and set me on edge. I couldn't deny she was attractive—a dead man could wake up from her touch._

 _But there was a reason her name was Zoraida._

 _She was from Europe, though no one really knew where. It didn't matter; she was as dangerous as the sirens who called upon Odysseus._

" _Si, you're the American. I've been waiting for you," she stated lowly in my ear._

 _I swallowed my drink, trying to keep my senses. Indeed that wasn't a good thing. But I had to keep my composure and keep my eye on the target._

 _I had never strayed and I didn't plan to now._

 _My eyes cast away from the black haired temptress in front of me and landed upon the man himself._

 _He was watching our interaction curiously, and I could only glance upon him, take in his expressions and decipher it in a split second before I had to move on._

 _He was of course angry, but he also looked intrigued. It was as though he enjoyed when she prayed upon the men in the room, like she was a test for the young and inexperienced to see if the men would stand up to his measure._

 _I wasn't going to fall for it._

 _So I turned to her with my best smile and pressed my fingers to her elbow. As I pulled my body away, I leaned in only my head and murmured in her ear._

" _Well then you know the expression, anything worth having is worth waiting for."_

 _I glanced up to her as her eyes flashed with both anger and anticipation. I stepped away and moved into the crowd not to look back._

 _But I made sure to catch_ his _eye. Give him a nod. Raise my drink. Then finish it, before I walked out of the room._

The train jostled me awake as we pulled into Penn Station, and I was surprised at the direction my dream had taken.

I hadn't thought about her in a long time. Long before Bella, before Romania even began in fact. My Brazil mission was the first and only time I used a woman to get inside.

And there was a reason for that.

Yet something in my subconscious caused me to go in that direction and I would need to analyze it later.

But for now, I was just ready to be back with my family.

I stepped off the train and started walking up the stairs at Penn Station toward the area where the cabs waited. Suddenly my phone rang and I noticed it was Bella. I smiled and opened the phone, I couldn't wait to be home and I had only been gone for the day.

"Hey Liefje how are you?" I asked as I put the phone to my ear.

But she didn't answer, and I could hear crying in the background. I stopped dead in my tracks and my body instantly tensed.

"Liefje?" I said worriedly.

There was no response. But she obviously called me. My heart started beating and I threw my bag over my shoulder as I climbed the stairs two at a time, rushing past other train patrons.

"Liefje!" I all but shouted this time and I could hear the crying increase in the background. It sounded like Eric and by the time I reached the top of the steps my body was racing with fear and I was shoving people out of the way.

I heard the whimpering move closer to the phone and I was frantic now.

"Eric! Eric! Eric, buddy it's Daddy. Pick up the phone!" I threw my arm out for a cab as one sped by. I felt like I was dying inside.

Shit, what was happening? Something was wrong with Liefje, I could feel it. Why would she call me and not talk and why else would Eric be crying?

"Zoonie, its Daddy please pick up the phone," I pleaded with the sound on the other end of line.

"Hey man?" I looked up and saw a few people staring at me. "Hey man, are you okay? Do you need this cab?" A guy gestured to it.

I quickly ran over. "Yes, thank you so much, it's my wife I think something's happened." He motioned to the cab again and I jumped in and hurriedly gave the cabbie my address.

"Thanks man." I said to him and he nodded before I closed the door. The cabbie sped off and I asked him if he could go faster. It was an emergency.

Suddenly I heard shuffling on the phone.

"Daddy?" Eric sniffled.

"Zoonie! Zoonie are you okay? Are you and Momma okay?" I implored him.

 _My three year old son, Christ what could he tell me._

"Daddy, Momma won't wake up." He started crying harder and my stomach dropped.

 _Oh God. Oh God no! What happened?_

"Zoonie, where are you? What do you mean she won't wake up?"

"Daddy…" He cried.

 _Fuck, fuck, fuck._

I took a deep breath and willed myself to calm down.

"Eric, calm down, it's okay. Daddy's going to be there real soon. Are you at home."

"Yeah," he said quietly.

"Calm down buddy," I soothed, my voice belying my terrified mind.

He sniffled and I could hear him settling down on the other end.

"Eric, can you help Daddy? Try to wake up Momma."

"Okay." He said meekly. The phone dropped again and I tensed as I listened to him.

"Momma. Momma wake up. Momma." But nothing. No response.

Oh God. I shut my eyes tightly and then opened them to see the cabby looking at me.

"We'll get 'ya there fast man." I nodded and felt the car jerk as he pressed on the accelerator.

"Eric. Eric." I tried to get his attention again. "Eric. Come talk to Daddy bud."

He sniffled into the phone again and I breathed out.

"Did you and Momma just get home or have you been there for a while?"

"Just got here. That man scared her." He said and I froze.

 _Man. What man?_

 _What the fuck?_

"What man Zoonie? What did he look like?"

"I dunno. A big bad man. Momma told me to walk fast."

 _Fuck._

"But you're at home right. You and Momma are at home."

"Mmm-hmm." He mumbled.

I looked up then and I could see our building four blocks ahead. We were stopped at a light, but I didn't care.

"Eric. I'm going to be there real soon okay. Just hold on buddy."

I tossed the cabby a $50 and jumped out of the car. I was in a dead sprint, my dress shoes clicking on the sidewalk and my bag flapping over my shoulder. If it didn't have important FBI documents in it, I would have thrown it so I could run faster.

By the time I reached our building, Eric was crying again and trying to wake up Bella. Every horrible scenario was racing through my head. Who was the man? What had he done to her? How long was she out? Was Lucy okay? I couldn't bear the thought of losing my wife and my daughter.

Blood raged through me and my head pounded as I flew into the elevator and pressed the button for the nineteenth floor. I willed the elevator to move faster until it finally dinged on our floor and I stepped out and instantly put my keys in the door.

Not five feet into the foyer I saw Eric, my son, my zoonie, crying and sitting next to a crumpled Bella on the floor.

"Liefje!" A strangled sob left my throat as I threw down my bag and raced to her side.

"Daddy!" Eric wrapped his arms around me and I held him to me tightly as I took her in.

"Bella. Bella, wake up baby please." I set Eric down and checked her pulse. She was still breathing, but she was as pale as a ghost and her breaths were unsteady.

"Fuck." I quickly pulled out my phone again and dialed 911.

I could barely speak as I told them I needed an ambulance immediately. They wanted me to stay on the line and I struggled to hold Bella's head in my lap and calm Eric at the same time. My heart was racing as I stroked her hair from her head and she started to come to.

"Bella, baby, please." I pleaded with her and just as her eyelids fluttered she let out a groan and grabbed her abdomen. I watched in horror as she crunched up in pain and realized that she was having a contraction.

 _No it's too early!_

"Shit, I think she's in labor." I told the dispatcher and immediately dropped the phone and put it on speaker.

"Sir, can you get her to respond? The paramedics will be there shortly, but it would be much better if you can get her awake so we know exactly what's wrong with her."

"Baby, Liefje, talk to me sweetheart. Are you alright?" I rubbed her head and pressed my hand to her stomach as I felt how tight it was. She was definitely having a contraction. Suddenly it eased and her brow quit furrowing as her breathing became more steady.

"E-Edward. What?" She blinked her eyes and slowly took me in.

"Oh thank God! Liefje look at me? Are you okay? What happened?"

Her brow furrowed in confusion again just as there was a knock at the door. I hurriedly let in the paramedics who rushed to Bella's side. I was a mess of nerves and picked up Eric to clutch him to me as they shouted out orders and questions.

"Mrs. Cullen, are you in a lot pain?"

"Can you tell us what happened, Mrs. Cullen?"

"What day is it Mrs. Cullen?"

They barraged her with questions and I could see the fear in her eyes as she tried to answer them but couldn't. I wanted to scream at them to slow down, but they were just doing their job.

Just as she was starting to answer she screamed out in pain again and grabbed her stomach.

"We need to get her to the hospital stat. She could have a tear or begin hemorrhaging if she fell." One of them said as they hoisted her on a stretcher.

My blood ran cold and I let out a gasp. "Please. Hurry!"

The moments passed like the landscape speeding past me on the train only mere minutes earlier. Our life together, Eric, Lucy, our home, every time I lay with her in bed or kissed her good morning. All of the good times. Were they over? Was our wonderful life ripped away from us after such a short time together?

And then I thought of even more terrifying things: the night she was taken from me, her hospital stay, being stalked by Demitri.

She couldn't be taken for good this time. I would die if something happened to her.

All of the thoughts raced through my brain as the paramedics moved quickly to get her out of our home, into the elevator and into the ambulance. I saw several of our neighbors watching as she was loaded up, equally worried, but obviously not as horrified as me.

Bella had an oxygen mask attached to her because she started to panic once we were in the ambulance. I could only grip her hand in one of mine while the other clutched onto a crying Eric.

I felt so helpless.

I _hated_ it.

The ambulance blared through traffic to Columbia Medical and I just prayed over and over again that she would be okay, that they would both be okay.

Somewhere in the back of my mind, that darker side, the side I worked so hard to repress, started to reemerge and straighten his back. Some part of me was vowing for vengeance already, yet I had to push it away. I didn't know who did this, but I would kill them. I was certain of it.

As the ambulance pulled into the emergency area, it was another blur of hands and questions and personnel.

 _How far along was she?_

 _How far apart were the contractions?_

 _Had she lost any blood?_

But I couldn't help them or answer any of it because I was too caught up in my own mind. If I hadn't gone to D.C. this wouldn't have happened. I never should have left them.

"Sir, your wife is being taken to emergency surgery. We think she will probably have to have an emergency C-section. Is there someone you might call in case…?"

I shook my head at him like he was speaking another language, one different from the several I knew.

"What?" I finally asked as I watched them take Bella away.

"Is there anyone you can call?"

I watched as they started moving her stretcher away.

"Liefje, wait! Stop!."

I ran over to her, finally realizing what they were implying.

 _If she didn't make it through._

I grabbed her hand and forced her to turn her head and look at me. "Baby, please, I love you so much. You're going to be okay."

She looked at me with wide terrified eyes and I could tell she still didn't have her breath.

But she squeezed my hand and I used every bit of my being to compose myself and look strong for her.

"We'll be right here when you're done. We're going to meet Lucy. I love you. I love you both. Everything's going to be okay." My voice quivered as I kissed her head and tears ran down her cheeks.

And then they wheeled her away and I was left standing there with our son in my arms, crying and breaking down, just as I felt every bit of my insides were shattering to pieces.

*&^%$#

"Edward!"

I heard her shout before I saw her face. My mother came running into the waiting room in a panic.

"Edward. Eric." She raced over to us as soon as she saw us and threw her arms around us.

"Your father called me. He said…he said they took her in for emergency surgery. I was just up the street working on a new project."

It had only been fifteen minutes since I talked to Dad, but having my mother here now made my tough exterior crack.

"Take…take Eric. Please." I trembled as I handed her my son who was now asleep on my shoulder.

"Edward?"

I held up my hand for a moment as I looked around to find an escape. I was a lethally trained agent, adept at hiding my fears and emotions, but at the moment I wanted nothing more than to find a dark corner and let them overtake me.

"I just…" I swallowed, my throat hoarse and constricted. "I just need a minute, Mom."

She nodded and rubbed Eric's back as I walked away. I found an empty hallway with no patients and leaned my head against the cool brick wall.

I wanted to cry. I wanted to scream.

 _This couldn't be happening to me, not again._

Everything I'd built, everything I treasured was being ripped away from me. I felt like my insides were being ripped to shreds. At that moment, I had the sudden urge to vomit.

An empty patient room beckoned me and I quickly ran inside the bathroom and lost the contents of my stomach. With it the tears came. Tears—which I never shed—were racing down my cheeks.

My mouth tasted like acid and I rinsed it in the sink. I looked in the mirror, trying to come to grips with what could possibly happen.

I might be a single father.

I might lose them both.

I might never see Bella again.

Fear gripped my heart, but I drew in a deep breath. I had to be strong for my son. I couldn't think the worst, not yet anyway.

After a few more minutes alone, I walked back to the waiting area.

My Mom was holding Eric and trying to soothe him.

"But the man…." He cried. "He hurted Momma."

The fear was instantly replaced by anger and I clenched my fists as I stared at them.

Green eyes met mine and a look of worry crossed her face. I took another deep breath, trying to calm myself before I really lost it and sat down next to them.

"Zoonie, it's okay now. Momma's going to be okay and the man is gone."

"But Momma said to go in my room and not come out, and then I heard her crying and I came anyway and answered her phone. Am I in trouble Daddy?"

I bit my lip in an effort to hold in my emotions. "No buddy, of course not. You did exactly what you should have done."

My mother's face was filled with question and I just shook my head at her as if to say "we'll discuss this later."

"Mr. Cullen?" My head jerked up at the sound of my name and I spotted the doctor nearing us.

I shot up from my seat in an effort to find out about Bella, but also to block my son from it in case it was bad.

"Is she…my wife how is she?" I covered my mouth with my hand, willing the pain and the bile rising up in my chest to go away.

"She's going to be fine, and so is your daughter."

I gasped, not realizing I had been holding my breath and I turned to see my mother with tears in her eyes.

"Oh thank God. Can I see her?"

"We're moving her to recovery and your daughter is being sent to the NICU. Even though your wife was 36 weeks pregnant, your daughter is still considered premature. We want to check her lungs and make sure she's doing okay. Hopefully she will be with you by the evening. She was a bit on the small side, just over five pounds, but she looks extremely healthy."

"And Bella." I asked as I gripped the back of a chair in an effort to stay upright.

"We believe she fell and hit her head. She suffered a concussion and the fall caused her to go into labor. She lost quite a bit of blood and hemorrhaged, but I was able to stop the bleeding and repair it. Unfortunately I'm uncertain at this time how that will affect her ability to conceive again. We won't know more until she's healed. But she's doing well and once she comes to, we will take you to see her."

"Thank you." I offered him my hand. "I can't tell you how much…" My voice caught and shook his hand. "Just thank you."

He nodded and gave me a small smile. "One of the nurses will be out shortly."

I sighed and turned around to face my family.

"Edward?" My mother questioned worriedly.

"She's fine Mom, they both are. They're going to be okay."

"Oh thank goodness." She breathed a sigh of relief and then stood up and walked over to me with Eric on her hip.

"Come here." She wrapped her one arm around me in a strong hug. I couldn't help but think it felt good. Even at forty, a hug from my mother made me feel so much better.

"Me too, me too." A little voice squealed.

I chuckled and wrapped my arms around both my mother and Eric as I took a breath of relief.

I explained to my mother what happened, without getting too graphic. I didn't want to tell her all of it with Eric right there. Her eyes widened in fear and I knew she would have more questions later. But right then I just wanted to see my wife and my daughter, see for my own eyes that they were okay.

Soon after, a nurse came to take us back to see Bella. My mother stayed in the waiting room as my father and Alice were both on their way.

I walked in to find Bella lying on her bed. My brain flashed with images of four years ago and I had to swallow down my fear.

My guilt.

My frustration.

"Momma!" Eric called and out and Bella's eyes opened as she took us in.

She half smiled as her eyes welled with tears and I was instantly at her side.

"Oh God, Liefje, I was so worried about you," I murmured as I kissed her head, her cheek, her nose.

"I wanna hug Momma." Eric fussed and I felt terrible that I had to hold him back.

"Okay, buddy but Momma's really sore so you have to be gentle."

I leaned him down so that he could put his arms around her neck and Bella let out a shuddering breath.

I wiped the tears from my eyes as I placed him back on my hip.

"Have you seen her?" Bella asked then.

"Not yet. I didn't want to see her without you."

"Is she…?" She trailed off and I could hear the quiver in her voice.

"She's great, a little small but healthy. They just want to check her lungs and then they will transfer her to our room. Mom and Dad will take Eric and I'll be staying with you."

I clasped her hand and squeezed as our eyes locked. Every muscle in my body was tight as we had a conversation with our eyes alone. So many questions needed to be answered.

Who was the man?

Why was this happening again?

What could have happened if I hadn't gotten there?

If only I had been there to begin with.

"Don't," Bella whispered.

The sound of her voice brought me out of the retreat into my worries. But I knew it wouldn't be long before we would have to address what happened, along with so many other things.

For the next hour I waited patiently with Bella and Eric until they said her room was ready. As we followed her to the room, Eric yapped away about his day with his cousins, seemingly unaffected by the events of the afternoon.

It was nearly eight p.m. by the time we were settled and we wanted Eric to meet his baby sister before he would leave with my parents.

Once Bella was settled I went to meet my parents and Alice. I shook my head to disregard the questions—at least for the time being—and simply said I was excited to meet our daughter. Because I was.

They told me they would return in the morning to meet her and I thanked them.

A short time later the nurses informed us that they were bringing her to our room. My body was tight with anticipation. It was so much different than the last time. Last time I watched as they pulled Eric from Bella's body, I saw the screaming slimy baby and I was in awe and at the same time absolutely elated.

Yet this time wasn't much different. I watched as they pushed her cart into the room. I put my arm around Bella as I sat slightly on the side of her bed so as not to injure her. With Eric propped on my knee, I watched in amazement as the nurse handed us a little dark haired beauty.

Luciana Esme Cullen.

Lucy.

Our daughter.

She had pink bow lips and a mass of dark strands on top of her head just like Bella's. She was perfect and tiny and everything I knew she would be.

I just held all three of them close to me and tried to absorb the moment of our first time as a complete family. And I thanked God over and over again that we were even sitting in this position.

Because as the minutes and the hours of the next days passed, I would have to face my fears. I would have to finally quit ignoring the ghosts of my past and make a decision.

I would have to protect my family at all costs, regardless of what that might mean for me.

 **XXXX**

Zoraida = Temptress

The Portuguese was simply, "Good evening, may I take your coat?"


	7. Chapter 6- The Truth of the Matter

_**Chapter Six: The Truth of the Matter**_

" _ **Black Hole Sun" by Soundgarden**_

 _ **~Bella Cullen~**_

" _Liefje, are you awake?"_

 _A warm breeze wafted across my face as I turned my head. I could make out his unruly hair in the early morning sun and the smile that graced his face._

 _My lips rose into a grin of contentment as he stared at me. His arms wrapped around me and pulled me closer as his voice rumbled sexily in my ear._

" _Good morning, Mijn Schoonheid."_

" _Mmmm. It is a good morning, isn't it?" I snuggled closer to his chest, reveling in the warmth I felt there. I could hear the waves of the Mediterranean crashing against the shore outside and smell the salt in the air. I didn't want to move an inch and for over a week I wouldn't have to._

 _I could just be: in this place, with Edward, and nothing but time on our hands._

 _A calloused hand made its way down my naked flesh. The heat spread from its fingertips and burned into my body in a delicious way. I moaned as Edward's fingers met my center and shamelessly ground myself against him. It was as though we hadn't just been together mere hours earlier. But I didn't care; it was our honeymoon. I was going to get in as much of this as I could, and I knew Edward felt the same._

" _Hmmm, Liefje you're always so ready for me," he growled as I moaned into his touch and thrust my pelvis. I moved my own hand down his body until I wrapped my fingers around him and he throbbed in my hand._

" _Fuck," he hissed._

" _So are you Agent Cullen. Always so ready."_

" _I never know when I might be called upon." He murmured cheekily as his lips attached to my neck. I chuckled but then moaned again at his ministrations._

 _Our bodies moved in a languid dance, fingers twisting and pressing, bringing us closer and closer to our ends, until Edward had enough and rolled me on top of him. In one simply movement I was above him, his cock ready at my entrance and my body aching for him yet again._

" _So are you saying you're at attention Agent Cullen?" I smirked as I rubbed myself over him._

 _He grumbled low in his chest as his eyes moved up my body, hands following over my breasts._

" _Ready, willing and able, Mrs. Cullen," he teased as he rolled my nipple with his fingers and I bit down hard on my lip._

 _I lifted myself up and sunk down on him without another word and we both moaned at the contact. Back and forth I rocked, slow and steady then fast and hard. I alternated until his eyes were so black I thought he might go crazy._

" _What do you want Edward?"_

" _You Bella, just you. Forever."_

" _I'm here. I'm yours…forever." I leaned down and met his lips with mine. Soon we were both moving faster, unable to hold back, as we raced toward our climax._

 _I closed my eyes and threw my head back as I felt him, really felt him inside me, against me, all around me._

" _Come back to me, Liefje."_

 _I heard his words and tried to open my eyes to look at him._

" _I'm here." I murmured again._

 _What did he mean?_

" _Come back to me, Liefje."_

My eyes fluttered as I tried to focus and suddenly realized I wasn't in Greece. We weren't on our honeymoon. We most definitely weren't in the position I had just dreamt.

"Hmmm." I turned my head to look at Edward, but I was no longer met by sex tousled hair and a shitty grin. White light blinded my eyes as I tried to blink and look at him. When I finally saw him, he wasn't relaxed and grinning. He looked tired, with three days of stubble and a troubled expression on his face.

"Liefje, I'm right here." Fingers stroked my face and I tried to turn my body. But instead of feeling a welcome soreness as in my dream, a sharp pain shot through my abdomen and I gasped.

"Bella, Bella. You're okay. You're just sore from your surgery."

"Surgery?" I mumbled and closed my eyes from the blinding light.

Edward kissed my forehead and I felt him exhale a breath against me.

My mind raced with thoughts as I pondered his words. Suddenly the last two days came back to me and I winced.

James chasing me.

The fight at our doorway.

Calling for Edward and hitting my head.

The blackness.

I drew a deep breath as I tried to calm down. I had never been prone to panic attacks, so I wasn't sure what brought on the one I had. Regardless, it seemed as though I was overwhelmed easily the last couple of days. The doctors said it could be the combination of my body healing from my concussion and emergency surgery to get our daughter out.

Which brought my mind to Lucy, our sweet baby girl.

"Where's…"

"She's right here. Sleeping in her crib."

I opened my eyes and turned my head to see the cart crib they used in the hospital. She was bundled up inside, a little pink hat covering her thick dark hair as she breathed deeply.

"What time is it?" I looked at the window and noticed the sun rising—the blinding light I must have noticed when I woke up.

"Just after seven. Do you want me to call down and get breakfast?" Edward murmured.

I nodded and gingerly tried to sit up. The IV in my hand still ached and my midsection was so sore it was like having ice picks stuck in me.

But I was alive, and our baby girl was here, so I wouldn't complain about it.

Edward promptly ordered breakfast as I stared at Lucy. She was so little, just over five pounds. But she was perfect and content as could be. As my mind started to clear I realized it was our third day in the hospital and we might get to go home that afternoon.

"Are you alright, Liefje?" Edward stroked his hand through my hair and I nodded as my befuddled brain settled into its surroundings.

"Yes, why?" I finally asked.

"You were groaning in your sleep. I thought maybe you were in pain." His eyes were worried as he asked me and I furrowed my brow in contemplation.

Then I blushed; because how I could even be dreaming such dreams at that time I didn't know.

"It was just a dream," I muttered and Edward gave me a blank look.

"I was dreaming about Greece." I looked down and he chuckled then, easing the tension.

"Really? Well, it's going to be a while for that. Eight weeks the doctor said." Edward finally cracked some semblance of a smile.

"Damn, and I thought six was bad." I joked and Edward laughed.

"I'm just glad you're safe. I—"

"Don't. I don't want to talk about this here. Let's just wait until we get home alright?" I stopped him because I knew where he was headed.

He wanted to know everything. He wanted to analyze and figure out what he could have done differently. I knew him; he would blame himself about this for decades.

But I couldn't let him. Because nothing could have prevented what happened, nothing by us anyway.

Edward finally nodded and went to answer the knock at the door announcing our room service.

We ate quietly until Lucy started to stir and let out a wail. Luckily my milk had started to come in a bit the night before. I hadn't realized it took longer for women who had c-sections. I finally had enough to feed her at least a few times during the day.

As Lucy latched on, I could feel Edward's eyes on us and I looked up at him. His face was stoic, but his eyes gave him away.

"Will you…why don't you join us?" I murmured and he looked up at me.

He moved in behind me, careful not to jostle us and put his arms around my back. I felt him take a shuddering breath against me and I closed my eyes to will the tears away.

What if something had happened to her? What if something happened to me? I couldn't imagine leaving Edward to care for our children or even think of losing Lucy.

But I willed the tears away because she was here and we were okay. Now I needed to reassure Edward as well.

"She has your determined forehead you know," I said as I looked down at her.

"Oh yeah?" His voice caught a bit, but he cleared it and perched his head on my shoulder.

"Yeah, she's definitely a Cullen. A fighter." I turned to look at him and held his gaze.

"I love you both, so much." He swallowed and looked back down at Lucy and squeezed his arms around me.

"I love you too. Don't ever forget that."

"I won't." He kissed my neck and I shivered as I realized just how precious my family was to me.

*&^%$#

"Easy, easy." Edward chided as he helped me into the apartment and settled me onto the couch. Esme followed with Lucy in her carrier and a sympathetic look on her face.

"It'll get better in a day or two." She smiled. "I had to have a c-section with Alice and…well, I don't envy you."

I nodded and then winced in pain.

The hospital ended up keeping both of us for a full five days rather than just three. Though Lucy was a few weeks early, she was perfectly healthy and they let her come home with us. I was a bit stir crazy by the time we left the hospital, but being back at home didn't necessarily ease my senses.

It felt different. Our safe haven was no longer that. I eyed the doorway and the entry where I fought James and then collapsed.

I shook my head, not wanting to think about the "what ifs" of what could have happened if Edward hadn't come home soon and Eric hadn't talked to him.

Eric, my sweet little boy who was so worried about me. He had been staying at Carlisle and Esme's and Charlie and Sue's since I was hospitalized and I couldn't wait to see him again. But we wanted to get settled for a night with Lucy and I needed one more day to heal before my three year old was here.

And Edward and I needed to finally face the music.

After setting me up on the couch with blankets and pillows, water, a snack and the remote in hand, Esme left to return to Carlisle and Eric.

Lucy was quietly sleeping in her car seat and Edward paced in front of the living room window, as if he had something on his mind.

I knew him so well. He was brooding.

"Come out with it." I murmured finally and he stopped pacing.

As he turned around, I patted the spot next to me. He sighed and walked over and settled in, careful not to disturb me too much.

"Can you tell me what happened?" He finally asked as he stared at our sleeping daughter.

I nodded and then swallowed, a thickness forming in my throat. I took a deep breath and then grabbed his hand before speaking.

As I relayed my drive back from Brooklyn, the garage scene, the elevator ride and finally the altercation at the doorway, I watched as Edward's breathing became unsteady and his entire body went rigid.

He gripped my hand painfully as I spoke of the final seconds before I passed out.

Edward shook his head as I finished and pulled his hand from mine to run it through his hair. He instantly jumped up and started pacing again, his mannerisms so similar to four years ago. Granted it was the man I fell in love with, but he was a troubled man at the time and I knew this was eating away at him just as my safety and the issues surrounding his brother did then.

"I should have been here. I never should have left you in your condition. I never should have gone to D.C. I knew what fucking Fortnight wanted and I never should have gone to see him," he ranted as he paced back and forth looking out the window.

"Edward, I want you to listen to me," I said, but he didn't stop his pacing.

"Edward." I pressed more firmly and finally he turned to me. "Look at me."

His troubled green eyes met mine and I took a breath before I started. "None of this was your fault. There was nothing that you could have done or said that would have changed any of it. The important thing is that we're okay. That's the bottom line and you can't beat yourself up over this. I won't let you. Understand?" I said firmly as we held each other's gaze.

Finally, he nodded before I continued. "It's from here that we go forward. And I want you to promise me something." He looked at me in question, but I just quirked an eyebrow at him before I began. "You have to tell me everything. I want to know whatever you know so I can help keep our family safe. I don't want any arguments and I don't want you to think you're the only one here who needs to do the protecting. We're a family. We work together and it's high time you realize I'm not just going to lay back either."

He tensed and started to open his mouth, but I stopped him. "I won't take 'no' for an answer."

"Bella…"

"Edward." I challenged back.

At last he relented and nodded at my request.

I moved into a more comfortable position on the couch as Edward slowly walked over to me.

"Liefje…"

I waited as he gathered his thoughts and ran a hand over his face, obviously considering what he wanted to tell me.

"Everything Edward, that's the deal."

He looked at me again with a pained expression and I knew what he was thinking—that I couldn't handle it in my condition; that he just wanted to protect me.

At last he sighed and leaned his head back against the couch as he started in.

"I contacted Seth. He's still in the field and I thought he would be our best chance for information and having an ear to the ground on what might be happening."

I nodded for him to continue. Then he launched in to tell me about his meeting with Director Fortnight, the request for him to come back for one last mission, and the thoughts he had on how the Volturi, Draconi and other organizations might be linked.

"So you think that this all comes back to Aro somehow? I thought he's been out of the game for too long?" I questioned.

"He has, but his contacts are still there. The people he knows can still connect with one another. The most valuable thing in the underworld isn't a commodity of any sort, it's not guns or drugs or other weapons, it's information. Who you know in the underworld is everything. That's how you get to the top."

Edward's brow furrowed as he stood up yet again and I thought about what he said.

"Bella did your grandmother…did she ever mention anything about her homeland?"

I thought about his question and pondered it for a moment. "Not really, she said she had to take care of her younger brothers and sisters because her mother died and that was part of the reason she came here, to have a better life. Why?"

Edward shook his head in contemplation. "Because there's always been talk about Aro's connections to Italy. Your grandmother came from Italy as basically an offering to Volturi. I can't help but wonder if her family is somehow linked to all of this."

My mouth dropped open as I realized the potential implications of his thoughts. Could my great-grandfather be… _mafia_? Was my entire extended family somehow linked to this? I couldn't fathom it. The entire mafia system was such a foreign concept to me, so different from how I grew up, that I had trouble even considering it.

"It's just an idea." Edward shook his head, obviously seeing my discontent with it.

We were quiet for a moment when I thought of something.

"Edward, when I was at my Dad's in Brooklyn, he told me about a safe deposit box of my grandmother's." My mind started to race as I recalled our conversation.

"Really?" Edward's widened as I relayed the information. "What do you think could be in it?"

"He said it was just mementos and stuff, so I didn't think much about it until…now."

Edward drew a breath and I could see his mind was spinning with questions. "We should definitely take a look at it." He paused as if to connect something in his brain. "Seth is under again, working on another mission, but I'll see if I can have him look into who Volturi's possible connection in Italy might be. I'll also call my other contact."

"Other contact?"

"The um…the agent I worked with on my first mission, when I helped send Volturi to prison."

My eyebrows shot up at his admission. "You helped put him in jail?" Edward nodded and I tried to digest that information. "Well that's just…does he know that?"

Edward shook his head. "I don't know. But I have to be careful now after everything with my grandfather."

I nodded in understanding. There was so much to take in. He had been an agent for nearly seven years when I met him. Surely he couldn't tell me a lot of it because it was classified information. I knew he had high security clearance and I had a vague idea of the places he had been stationed. But the things he had seen were likely beyond my comprehension.

Which made me think of another question.

"Edward, I never asked you. How do you know Eleazar Jiminez?"

Edward stiffened and looked down at my question. "I know you want to know everything, but some things…"

"I don't want to know classified information obviously, only things that might affect our family and things about my extended family. So it's okay, you don't' have to tell me if you can't."

"I'll just tell you this. Eleazar is…well, he's a contact of mine from a previous mission. But that's all I can really say."

I nodded, but my mind was again spinning with questions. The information overload was making me groggy and we had been talking for nearly an hour. Lucy would be waking up soon and I hadn't had any sleep since nearly six a.m.

"Why don't you lie down Bella? I think that's enough for today." I nodded in agreement as Edward helped me get settled on the couch.

He kissed my forehead and murmured an "I love you" in my ear before I slipped off to sleep.

But that time my dreams weren't of wonderful memories of Greece, it was of a dark ominous cloud surrounding me and the face of a mobster I had never seen in person, yet had an intricate part in my even being in existence.

*&^%$#

 **~Agent Cullen~**

I rolled over and grumbled at the wail next to my ear. Lucy was up again and because Bella was still very sore, I had to get up and get her out of her bassinet.

I groggily stumbled over to my little girl and undid her swaddling as she let out another wail.

"Shhh. Come here Mijn Meisje." I kissed her head and snuggled her close to me as she squirmed in search of milk.

Bella sat up and leaned against the headboard as I handed her Lucy.

"How long did you sleep?" She murmured as she looked at my tired eyes.

"About an hour."

"Edward," she scolded, "you need to sleep too. You have to go back to work on Monday."

I shook my head. "No, I got two weeks off because of…everything. I'm not going back until next week."

"When did you find that out?"

"Just tonight. When you fell asleep, I called Director Fortnight. He heard about everything and let's just say…there won't be any trouble with my superiors." I half smiled at her and Bella nodded.

My eyes fluttered shut as the quiet of the late evening settled around us. It was just after midnight and luckily Lucy had slept for nearly three hours so Bella was able to as well.

But sleep evaded me these days. I was exhausted, but my mind was so filled with questions and what ifs that I couldn't shut it off to sleep. James Raven was out there somewhere and he got near my family. He almost killed my wife and my baby girl and I couldn't get over it.

No, I would never get over it _._

I had pushed my emotions back while Bella and Lucy were in the hospital for the past week. Yet really the only thing I wanted to do was hunt him down and kill him, take him apart piece by piece, him and anyone else who was working with him.

But I knew that this was just the beginning. Raven wasn't working alone. He didn't get out of prison and escape into the underground without help.

No, I knew better.

I had called upon my trusted ally only a few weeks ago to find out if anything suspicious was going on and I did so again shortly after Bella settled in the hospital.

I spoke to Seth.

There was word in the network that he had escaped New York and was now in Europe. I wasn't sure what to make of that. He could have several contacts with his work with Volturi and the Draconis over the years. As much as I wanted to chase after him, I knew I couldn't. Bella needed me. My family needed me. And for me to go charging back into the field guns blazing, well, that was exactly what _they_ wanted as well.

Seth confirmed that. I was known now, no longer an unnoticed shadow of the black market able to move in and out of circles of the black market elite. I would have to let time pass, change my cover, change my appearance, change my story.

Yet, why was I even thinking about that?

There I was, in the middle of the night contemplating potential action plans, scenarios and steps I would need to take if…

If I went back out on one last mission and ended it once and for all. But it wouldn't just be Raven. It would be the Volturi contacts in Brazil, Italy, and anywhere else.

It would be all of them. Was I willing to do that? Was I willing to sacrifice months, potentially years of my children's lives to ensure that no one would ever come after us again?

 _Yes._

That dark voice whispered from the recesses of my mind.

 _You're the only one that can do it._

Was it ego? Was it a power trip or God complex I had developed from my years of being a coveted asset to the FBI?

I wasn't sure.

And I couldn't believe I was even entertaining the idea. But there in the dark of the night as Bella slept soundly after putting Lucy back to sleep, my mind raced with questions and thoughts on what it might take to do just that.

I knew one thing. Sitting there in our apartment was driving me crazy. I wanted nothing more than to help Bella and spend time with our baby daughter, but I felt helpless. The FBI had put a protective detail outside our building and measures were taken to tighten the security. The building managers determined that the breach must have come from within. Someone got a hold of one of the owner's access cards so they reprogrammed everyone's cards to ensure it couldn't happen again. Regardless, I upped the security on our floor so that one had to have the access card to even enter from the stairwell or to push the number for our floor. Now we would have to go down and walk up anyone visiting. But I didn't care about the impracticality of it; I wanted to keep my family safe.

The lights of the city night shone through the window and I finally sat up and got out of bed. I walked out to the kitchen in my sleep pants and grabbed the bottle of vodka from the freezer. I needed something strong to put my uneasiness at bay. I knew I couldn't do anything in the next few weeks and that was most maddening.

So I would have to find out as much information as possible before—if ever—going back in the field.

I sat down at the counter with a white Russian, my laptop and a note pad and a pencil.

Though I couldn't leave any notes of what I was thinking, photographic memory or not, I needed to organize my thoughts on paper. I needed to write it down and then review it before erasing it from existence.

And then burning it.

Thus I searched.

For hours I searched.

Volturi's charges and the witnesses that came against him.

The various players of the Draconi organization and the charges against each of them.

The potential contacts noted in the FBI documents I could access remotely.

The ones I would need to gain additional security clearance for, should I decide to go down this path.

Raven.

Phil Dwyer.

Buxton.

Volturi's sons.

Amun Kebi.

My grandfather.

And even Johan Baricelli. I searched.

Until suddenly it was four o'clock in the morning and I heard the stirrings of Mijn Meisje once again.

I walked down the hallway quietly, careful not to wake Eric or stir Bella or Lucy any more than necessary. After changing Lucy's diaper, I handed her to Bella and sat on the edge of the bed.

"Where have you been?" Bella murmured as she stroked Lucy's head.

"Just looking at some things." I sighed.

"You look tired. You should come to bed." The hand which had been stroking Lucy's downy hair traced the circles under my eyes and over my cheekbones.

"Can't sleep." I shrugged and ran my own fingers across Lucy's pillow soft skin.

Bella sighed resignedly and looked back down at Lucy. "She's so much better than Eric at this stage," she murmured, careful to change the topic.

"She is." I smiled, recalling the early days after Eric was born. Perhaps it was because we were new parents the first time around, or that our life had been a constant of crazy. Or maybe Lucy sensed the tumult in which she was brought into the world, so she was much easier.

Eric had flipped his nights and days and slept from sun up until nearly three and then stayed awake during the dark of the night. He ate every two hours and Bella barely got a wink of sleep the first month. Finally we held out one long weekend and kept him awake during the days to flip him around. Luckily it worked and Bella wasn't quite such a walking zombie.

But Lucy seemed to take to everything with skill akin to her three year old brother. She slept for a good three hours from 9-12, woke to eat, went back to sleep, then woke again at 4 and slept for another three hours. We were lucky the second time around.

In so many ways.

I turned my attention back to my girls and saw Lucy's breathing even out as Bella burped her gently. She handed her to me, and I snuggled her in my arms and high and tight against my chest. She was so light, barely over six pounds now and I was mesmerized by how much she looked like Bella more each day.

I stroked her cheek and kissed her forehead before placing her back in the bassinet. And then I did the same to my Liefje, because I surely couldn't go back to sleep with the unease rising up in my chest.

The feeling, the worry, the outright terror was settled deep in my stomach and threatened to rise up at any second. Though I fought it hard, my mind was coming back again and again to what appeared like the only option to protect my family.

To go back.

To become _him_ again.

To take care of business.

As I walked out of our bedroom to take another step in that direction, I wondered if I could come back from this one.

*&^%$#

"Charlie, it's good to see you." I shook my father-in-law's hand and held the door open for him.

"Sue." I kissed her cheek and then heard the footsteps down the hall.

"Papa!"

Eric crashed into Charlie and he let out an oomph from the impact.

"Uh, monkey be careful with your old Papa," Charlie huffed.

"I not a monkey Papa Charwee." Eric giggled as Charlie spun him around and Sue and I laughed at them.

"It's a wonder I haven't thrown out my back yet." Charlie huffed again as he set Eric down. Though Eric didn't notice as he was still babbling about the monster truck Charlie and Sue had given him last week.

"You said it," Sue teased and we followed behind them

Everyone settled in the dining area as Eric ran around. Charlie immediately had Lucy in his arms and was cooing over her. He came to the hospital every day the week before, but all of the shifts he had to move around cost him and he and Sue weren't able to come to see us at home until we were back for four days.

He and I had spoken before I went to D.C. He'd also had his ear to the ground to find out if anything was going on in his borough, but nothing stuck out. After the rec center development was passed on to new owners and investors, Brooklyn was back to its run of gangs and smaller family affiliates of the black market. There wasn't a big system in place like the Dracs.

It didn't matter to Charlie anyway. He was too busy trying to run a precinct and do the day to day than to try to handle issues that were city wide or even global.

Sue set about getting lunch together as she had brought a Lasagna and several sides. She fussed over Bella trying to help and shoed off Eric expertly, like any experienced mother could.

Bella settled in to her seat. She had been feeling much better in the last day or two and even getting a bit stir crazy as well.

I looked at Charlie and chuckled as he stared down at a sleeping Lucy in his arms and then placed her in the bassinet.

We ate lunch, and kept light conversation going, careful to avoid the elephant in the room. Charlie kept passing me looks when someone touched on what happened and I knew what he was thinking.

 _How could it have happened?_

It still bothered me every minute of every day. But I tried to ignore it for Bella's sake. She didn't want me to blame myself.

The problem was, right now I didn't have anyone else to blame or to take it out on.

Once lunch was finished Sue started to clean up, Bella went to feed Lucy in the nursery and I put Eric down for an overdue nap.

As I stepped out of his room, carefully closing the door behind me, I met Charlie in the quiet hallway.

"You got a minute?" He asked.

"Yeah." I gestured for him to follow me and we walked into our study.

The room was quiet, a heaviness hanging in the air that I had felt for the past week and a half, ever since I went to D.C.

Charlie was quiet as he moved about the room looking at pictures on the bookshelves. I leaned against the desk and waited, knowing he wouldn't say anything until he was damn good and ready.

"Who was it?" He finally asked as he crossed his arms and looked out the window.

I blew out a breath and stared a picture of my brother and I on the corner of the desk. "It was Raven…and some counterparts."

He nodded, seemingly not that surprised.

"Where is he now?"

"Who knows?" I shrugged, "Europe maybe? He's not a huge target for anyone else…"

Charlie picked up on my inflection and turned to look at me. "For anyone else but who?"

I sighed and scratched the back of my neck before I began to speak. But he stopped me.

"I want you to hear something from me." He paused and stared me down before starting again. "This is not your fault. I know how you are, I'm the same way. Everything is your fault. But at some point, you have to move past the fact that people do shit you just can't control."

I nodded, because maybe if he and Bella and everyone else kept saying it, I might finally believe it.

Maybe. Probably not.

"Edward. I see you. You don't think people do, but I see you. You're like a caged lion ready to burst out at the first chance it gets."

I bristled at his reference, it obviously hit close to home. But I let him go on, because for one of the few times I had met him, Charlie Swan had something to say. He wasn't just quiet and contemplative.

"I know what you're thinking. I can see it in your eyes. You want to go back out there and bust it up. You want an eye for an eye or more." He said sternly.

I finally turned to look at him because I knew it was true. I _was_ a caged animal, like one backed into a corner. And that's when they're most dangerous. I wanted to lash out but I couldn't. I didn't have a means.

Yet.

Charlie studied me for a minute until he finally turned back to the window.

He sighed heavily as the tension in the room eased a bit.

"I'm not going to tell you 'no', and I'm not going to say you shouldn't do it. Because if it was me, I know exactly what I would do." His shoulders sagged a bit as I watched him look out the window.

"I just want you to think about one thing: I've lost a son and Bella's lost a brother. She and Brad were very close. But if she lost you Edward…" he trailed off and my heart tightened at his implications. "Well I just don't know how she would get through that." He finished quietly.

We were silent for a few more minutes before he turned for the door of the study.

Then he stopped with his hand on the doorknob, but didn't turn to look at him. "You just make sure you don't rush into anything you do. You think this through and think it through well. And when you've come to that decision, I'll be behind you."

With that he left the room and I was left to think about what he said. My mind was lost in a jumble of thoughts and things I hadn't even considered.

How had I not considered that factor? Bella had always been so strong for me. I had put her on a pedestal with how she dealt with her loss of Brad.

 _But I wasn't there in the beginning was I?_

I didn't see the aftermath, and Charlie did. They both dealt with it differently, but the fact remained that I didn't see it. And it was different now. We had Eric and Lucy.

 _How could I do this to her?_

Where I was so resolute only a few nights before, I was now questioning my decisions.

"Everything okay?"

Bella's voice broke me from my thinking and I looked up to see her leaning in the doorway. For someone who had a baby and had been through quite the ordeal only a week and a half earlier, she looked amazing.

Her sundress flowed easily around her and her hair was down for the first time in days. Her dark eyes took me in and just absorbed all of my anguish and heaviness in one look.

How could I go back in the field and risk never seeing her again? Never seeing my zoonie or mijn meijse again?

"Yeah. Everything's fine." I said instead. I couldn't spill my guts just yet about what I was thinking. This was something I had to process myself first. I had to weigh everything out in my own mind before I put it on Bella.

Bella walked over and put her hands on my chest and I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her in. "You sure?" She murmured.

I nodded and leaned down to kiss her, slowly, carefully, just tasting her without the insinuation of more. Something we couldn't do for many reasons anyway. It was perfect and sweet and lightened the air enough to bring me back.

As we slowed our kiss and Bella laid her head on my chest, I sighed. The world, our world, was at peace for just a moment.

 **XXXX**


	8. Chapter 7- Adjustments

_**Chapter Seven: Adjustments**_

 _ **I Won't Back Down by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers**_

 _ **~Bella Cullen~**_

" _Over in Killarney, many years ago, me Mither sang a song to me, in tones so sweet and low."_

I awoke to the sound of low voice murmuring softly. It was mid-morning but it was raining outside. The light was filtering through the blinds as the voice continued the sweet melody.

" _Just a simple little ditty, in her good ould Irish way, and l'd give the world if she could sing, that song to me this day."_

 _"Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, too-ra-loo-ra-li, too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, hush now, don't you cry!"_

I smiled at the sound of the raspy baritone and my heart clenched as I pushed up from my bed and wrapped my robe around me.

 _"Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, too-ra-loo-ra-li, too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, that's an Irish lullaby."_

I followed the sound down the hall until I came upon the sweetest possible sight.

" _Oft in dreams I wander, to that cot again, I feel her arms a-huggin' me, as when she held me then. And I hear her voice a -hummin' to me as in days of yore, when she used to rock me fast asleep, outside the cabin door."_

I smiled as he moved into the final chorus and looked at the sweet but utterly ironic sight before me.

There was Edward, lying on the sofa with Lucy snuggled against his chest. He was shirtless, tattoos on display and muscles rippling. He was the perfect vision of male specimen and sweet father wrapped in one.

Just like Zeus.

But he was my Apollo.

" _Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, too-ra-loo-ra-li, too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, that's an Irish lullaby."_

He trailed off and smiled as he pressed a kiss to Lucy's head. She was sleeping soundly against him, perfectly content. Babies loved skin to skin contact and Lucy was no exception. But it was becoming more apparent in the three weeks since we had been home that she was her Daddy's girl through and through.

I sighed and pressed off the wall to walk toward Edward.

His eyes lifted to mine and he gave me a small smile as he gestured for me to join them.

"That wasn't a Dutch song," I teased as I eagerly slid in beside him. He shifted gently so as not to wake Lucy and put his arm around me.

"That was one my mother used to sing to us when we were little."

"Ah yes, Irish," I hummed into his chest.

"You slept in," he murmured and he kissed the top of my head.

"I did. It was amazing thank you. She wasn't too much trouble was she?" I snuggled into him further and ran my fingers along the Celtic sun over his heart.

"No. Of course not. I think it works well for me to take the early feeding so you can get some sleep."

I nodded into him and inhaled deeply. He was all Edward and morning mixed with baby and it was a heady scent.

Now that I was feeling better I couldn't wait to be back with my man. It was killing me. I had another month and seeing him all sexy and shirtless in Daddy mode, tattoos on display, wasn't helping.

He had been so attentive for the last few weeks, even when he went back to work. He called constantly during the day to check on us and I assured him we were okay. If we took a walk to the park, he sent an agent with us. If we went out to lunch with Esme or Rose, he often had someone watching the premises.

It might have been overkill, but I didn't care. And I couldn't blame him—whatever would make him feel better.

Regardless of his extra protective measures I could tell he was still blaming himself. He was working on getting over it. I even suggested he go see Ms. Cope again and he said he'd think about it. For the time being I left it at that, because if there was one thing I knew, when it came to Edward I couldn't push him. I could nudge, and make suggestions, but I couldn't push. He would have to come to some realizations himself.

Perhaps most sobering was when he revealed to me that he had actually considered going back. He called it a moment of weakness, but said he thought more and more about leaving Eric and Lucy and I and he just couldn't do it.

For that I was immensely grateful. I had never imagined myself as a military wife, but that's basically what I would be if he went back. I wasn't sure how I felt about that. Yet it was different for Edward. He had a choice. Many military men didn't. Once they signed up for four years, their missions were at the whim of their superiors. That wasn't the case with his position at all.

Before I let my mind delve into how I really felt about that, I turned my head to nuzzle into his chest.

It had been four weeks since Lucy was born. Four weeks since that horrendous day. And it wasn't lost on either of us another date that had just passed again.

9/11.

It had different meanings for us now. It was still the day we both lost our brothers, yet in very different ways. Thinking about the people who sacrificed their lives in the wake of the catastrophe, my brother and many Edward worked with included, I couldn't help but be grateful and humbled by it.

Still, it didn't mean I wanted my husband going back into battle. Indeed it was a different kind of battle for Edward. There wasn't a front, or a base that he worked off of. He was mostly alone. He was left to his own devices and training and I worried that he had been out of the field too long and would get sucked into a trap.

I felt bad for admitting it to myself, but I was thankful that he wasn't going back.

I didn't have to face those facts.

"What are you thinking about, Liefje?" Edward whispered as he stroked my hair.

I didn't want to get into a deep conversation. We had done that on the anniversary date. So instead I changed gears and diverted us to a more lighthearted topic.

"I was thinking about work actually."

"Have you made a decision?" He asked.

I shook my head against him and sighed. After Lucy was born in the midst of the craziness, I had a whim of desire to stay home with her and Eric. But now that the dust had settled and I was able to move about on my own and started feeling like myself again, I wanted to go back. Surely I wouldn't be full time, or even 30 hours a week like I had been. I would probably just work half time. But I couldn't imagine giving it up all together.

Edward supported me regardless. Though I had a sneaking suspicion he would like me to stay home simply for the fact that he could protect me better.

From the likes of the J. Frederico's of the world as well as the James Ravens.

I shivered as I thought about both of them. There was something odd about Frederico's offer to me and it was strange that it had coincided with everything that happened. I hadn't heard any more from him or his assistant since I went on maternity leave and I was fine with that. I had no interest in their offer.

"Mom called earlier." Edward shifted to look down at me. "She wants everyone to come over for dinner tonight. Apparently she and Dad have some important announcement."

"What do you think it is?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe she's retiring, or he is. I find that hard to believe though. They both love their jobs too much."

I nodded at his guesses, though I had some inside information on it. I had met Esme for lunch a week prior and she told me that she and Carlisle were moving out of the townhouse and wondered if Edward and I would want to live there. But more importantly she wondered how Edward might react.

I told her she just needed to ask him. I was willing to protect him, but I felt like he was finally in a place where he had accepted Eric's death and moved on. I didn't want him to regress, but I also knew he needed to work through certain issues himself. Regardless she asked me not to say anything until she and Carlisle had made a decision.

Apparently they had.

"What are you thinking about, now?" Edward whispered as he stroked my hair. Just as I was about to tell him 'nothing' my stomach rumbled.

He laughed lightly. "Hungry?"

I nodded and I gently rolled off the couch. He placed Lucy in her bassinet and grabbed my hand. "C'mon I'll make you pancakes. Zoonie will want some too when he's up."

" _You're_ making _me_ breakfast?" I teased.

He pulled me against him and wrapped his arms around my waist. "Anything for my beautiful wife," he murmured and leaned down to kiss me.

I rolled my eyes because I didn't feel beautiful or completely back to myself yet. Nursing helped, but I wasn't able to bounce back as quickly this time due to the C-section.

"Don't." Edward traced my cheek bone with his fingers. "You're beautiful to me Liefje, no matter what."

I smiled and leaned up to kiss him, that familiar spark crackling between us, until I pulled away, breathless.

"Hmmm, has it been eight weeks yet?" Edward asked for what seemed like the thousandth time.

"Ha, I wish." I took a deep breath and playfully slapped his chest. "Alright chef, show me what you've got."

I walked over to hop up on the stool and watched as Edward smirked and started to move around the kitchen. He was a great cook as I learned when we were first together. But since I usually came home first, I made dinner.

I let my mind drift back to those early days when we were confined to my apartment. The electricity between us was unbelievable and over the years it had lowered to an ever present current, but it was always there.

His magnificent body moved through the kitchen and I thought back on some of our first encounters at my old place.

Heated looks.

Innuendo.

First touches.

First kisses.

First everything between us.

It was like a dream, yet it was my reality, my memories. They were so close to me and yet so far away. We had come so far in four years that I almost couldn't believe it.

And yet we hadn't. Somehow we found ourselves back in this precarious position. The pendulum of life had swung back in the other direction and we were facing down demons once again. Demons of our past and our present threatened our family.

What I wouldn't give to just escape with Edward. He had suggested it from time to time, changing our names and packing our bags. But that would mean leaving our families and neither of us could bear to do that.

I wasn't sure where we went from here but I knew he was cooking up something in his mind. I knew he would protect us at all costs; I just wasn't sure what that might entail yet. The thought was scary.

Edward looked at me and I watched as he plated my pancakes and some bacon and poured me a cup of decaf.

"Remember how you used to surprise me and cook for me at my old place?"

He chuckled and grabbed his own plate as he sat down across from me at the breakfast bar. "I seem to have some very fond memories of dinners at that place." He smiled cheekily and took a bite of his bacon. He was nothing if not suggestive.

But I sighed and went back to what I was thinking only moments ago. We had broached the topic and he promised to keep me in the loop, but I wasn't sure where he was at with things.

"Have you found out any more about James?" I asked as I took a bite of my eggs.

Edward paused, his fork halfway to his mouth, and then looked at me as he quickly ate his eggs and set his fork on his plate.

"We're pretty sure he's in Europe. Unfortunately, we're not sure of everyone involved just yet. I feel like something is brewing, but I'm not sure what yet."

I nodded. He had mentioned the possible connections between his previous missions. We quietly ate our breakfast, but I could see Edward contemplating something. Finally he sighed and pushed his plate away.

"I've decided that if I can't go, I'm going to train a replacement."

My ears perked up at this. I didn't want to think about him going anywhere, so the fact that he was taking an active role in making sure that happened made me ecstatic.

"Who?"

"Do you remember the new agent I told you about?"

"Riley? I thought you weren't so sure about him?" I asked, puzzled.

"Yes. Well, I did a little checking into his background. It seems he and I have more in common than I thought and well…" he shrugged before taking a sip of his coffee, "I kind of feel bad for being suspicious of him."

"How so?"

"His Dad was a firefighter…" Edward trailed off and I instantly knew where this was going.

"I see. He must have been pretty young when it happened."

"He's so young." Edward furrowed his brow thinking about it. "And I worry about sending him out into the field, but…"

"But you can't go. You've done your part Edward."

He nodded and then abruptly got up to put the dishes away. I wanted to ask more. I wanted to know more about Riley and his father. I surmised Riley couldn't have been more than eleven or twelve when 9/11 happened. But it didn't matter now. He was an adult. He was the same age as Seth and Edward when he signed up. He made that choice just like they did.

"Momma?"

Before I could continue our conversation, a sleepy Eric appeared in the doorway.

"Good morning, baby. Are you hungry?" I smiled at Eric and ruffled his hair. Edward set to making him a plate of breakfast and then fastened him in his chair. Discussions of work were long forgotten.

I smiled as I watched Eric chatter as he woke up and Edward ask him questions. They were so much alike, so inquisitive.

Lucy started to stir and I kissed both of their cheeks before leaving to tend to her.

As I settled in on the couch to feed Lucy, I reveled in the sound of my boys talking and having my family all there.

Because for some nagging reason, I felt like it was going to be short-lived.

*&^%$#

"Bella, darling can you set this on the table for me?"

I helped Esme put out the rest of dinner before everyone took their places at the table. The entire family was there, including Angela, Ben, Eliot and little Ailey. Eric and Ailey had been running around with the twins. Four of them were enough to corale, I couldn't imagine what it would be like when Lucy got older along with Angela and Ben's newest one.

The dining room filled with laughter and noise as everyone spoke of their weeks and stories of interesting projects and clients. After dessert the kids ran off to play some more and Carlisle came into the room with a bottle and several glasses in hand.

"Dad, what's going on?" Edward quirked his brow and his hand tightened at its place on my shoulder.

"Well, I'm sure you are all wondering why we insisted you come tonight. Esme and I have an announcement for you." Carlisle proceeded to set down the bottle and glasses, which I could now see was very expensive champagne.

"Well, what is it?" Alice asked excitedly and leaned forward.

Carlisle looked to Esme and squeezed her hand before responding. "We've decided it's time we cut back on our work and focus more on ourselves and our families. On October 15, I will be stepping down from Reycon and retiring. We both will be. In fact, Esme and I both will be."

"That's it?" Edward asked and I elbowed him in the ribs. "What?" He scowled.

Luckily Carlisle didn't mind as he chuckled. "No, that's not all. We've also decided we're going to take a month long trip to Europe like we've always wanted. But not until after we make another very important move. We're selling the townhouse. In fact, we may already have a buyer, at least I hope anyway." His eyes glanced to mine and I looked down and away.

Carlisle smiled and I felt Edward's entire body stiffen.

"But, where are you going to live? You can't just up and move away! What…" Alice started to protest and Jasper hushed her.

Edward stared at the table for a moment before responding as well. "I um…I guess if that's what you want to do," he said somberly.

Carlisle chuckled again and squeezed Esme's shoulder. "Actually, it's more of a question of what you want to do. We were thinking you and Bella could have the townhouse since your family is growing. We don't need all the space and we don't want to part with it entirely." He shrugged.

"I don't understand?" Edward shook his head and then turned to look at me. "Did you know about this?"

I smiled sheepishly. "Kind of." But before I could explain, Esme jumped in.

"Now don't be mad at her, Edward. I told her not to say anything. I just asked if it was something she thought you would be interested in, and okay with of course."

I looked at Edward's expression and watched the emotions play across his face. At first, he was confused, probably because I didn't tell him. Then he looked somewhat sad because this was where he had grown up with his brother. Esme had been concerned that it might be too hard for Edward to live in this house.

But finally, a look of ease and excitement crossed his face and I knew he liked the idea. We hadn't ruled out having more children after Lucy, if it was possible. And it was likely we would be the ones to host family events in the future. Esme and Carlisle were going to move to the house in the Hamptons and just keep a smaller apartment in the City. Jasper and Alice had moved into a larger apartment two years ago and had plenty of space. As had Angela and Ben.

So we were it.

"Babe. What do you think?" I finally asked and he blinked as he looked at me.

"I think…I want to do it. Yeah. When?" He asked quickly. Suddenly I could see his mind working overtime. He was thinking about other possibilities. Things I also thought about if we moved into the townhouse. Things like security and protection details.

"Hopefully in a month or less. We'd like to be out before winter if that works for you?" Carlisle responded.

"Bella?" Edward turned to look at me and I smiled and nodded. I had thought about it for a week and I was excited about it too. The townhouse was beautiful, with five bedrooms, a full dining room, a study and a large kitchen. We were growing out of our home now that Lucy was here, so I was ecstatic about the idea. It was everything I could ever want and we wouldn't have to spend the time house hunting or worrying about selling our place.

Esme jumped up and gave Edward and me a hug and spoke quickly with Alice. From what she mentioned, Alice had no hard feelings about it. She and Jasper loved their new place. Carlisle started to pour the champagne to toast both the passage of the home to another generation of the Cullen family as well as their retirements.

"Wow, I never thought," Edward mumbled after we'd toasted the occasion. "I can't believe I will be living here again."

"Are you sure you're okay with this?" My hand stroked his jaw and he leaned in to give me a kiss.

"Of course. It will be great for Eric and Lucy and…"

"You know what I mean?" I pushed.

He blew out a breath and then looked at me. "Yes. I'm totally okay with it. In fact, I think it will be great. Now your parents can actually stay with us when they come over and there will be room for the kids to run around. And room for more." He said half-jokingly.

We hadn't discussed it yet, because for one, we didn't know if it would even be possible. But somewhere between feeling ready to be done with Lucy and realizing that it might be the last time I could have that experience, we'd decided that we definitely wanted to revisit the option. We didn't want to foreclose on the idea just yet.

But now that might all be a moot point.

I didn't want to think about that though. Not tonight when we were celebrating with our family.

Instead, we engaged in laughter and stories well into the late evening hour. The kids were changed to pajamas and put down in the guest bedrooms and the adults stayed up to play cards and drink more champagne and wine. Of course Angela and I couldn't, but it didn't matter. We smiled and laughed as we watched the family we were now a part of. And I was grateful, as I always was, regardless of what might lay ahead.

 *** &^%$#**

 **EPOV**

"Oomph. Crap."

I chuckled as I heard something tumble in the bedroom.

"Liefje, I swear if you're lifting something, you're going to be in big trouble," I called out as I walked in.

Instead, my eyes settled on Bella bent over to look under the bed. Her ass was clad in a tight pair of blue yoga pants and I nearly stuck my fist in my mouth to hold back my moan.

 _Three more days. Three more days._

I chanted it to myself, because damn, my wife was hot. She didn't even look like she just had a baby.

"I was just grabbing something from under the bed," She huffed and put her hands on her hips. "What?"

I shook my head smirking. "Nothing." I let my eyes trail down her long legs and back up again.

"Seriously Edward, we've been working all day. I look like crap." She rolled her eyes and continued her packing.

I walked up behind her and ran my fingers over the curve of her ass. "Bella, you know I could take you anytime, anywhere," I murmured into her neck.

Her breath hitched as I tried to contain my smile. "That's not fair for you to get me all worked up when I can't do anything about it."

She turned to look at me and her smoldering brown eyes met mine. She leveled me with her gaze and it suddenly seemed very hot in the bedroom.

"You better have your clothes on you two! Otherwise I'm never helping you again!" Alice's shrill voice called out from the hallway and Bella and I sighed collectively.

"Three more days," I whispered and kissed her nose.

"Three more days," she huffed.

"Seriously?" I turned to see Alice at the door with empty boxes in her hand. "I'm amazed you two don't have five kids by now," she grumbled and stormed into the bathroom.

We both chuckled before I set to work hauling the already packed boxes from the bedroom to the front door where Jasper and Emmett were loading them and taking them down. Rosalie was in the kitchen packing up our dishware and china. I looked about our home at our entire family pitching in.

I was sad to see it go; it was our first home together. It was the place both of our children were born. Yet at the same time, I was excited to be moving back into the townhouse.

We had movers coming for the bigger stuff, but just like last time, Bella wanted to pack our own collectable and nice things. I didn't care as long as she was up here and Eric and Lucy were safely with my mother at their new place.

I was all about security these days, which the other main reason I was thrilled to be moving to the townhouse.

There, I had control over everything.

My parents moved out only a week after their big announcement and we started the process of moving in. At the same time, I contacted a friend who had resources to some of the most state of the art equipment available.

Eleazar.

His role didn't stop as a financier for offshore missions. He had his hand in everything. He owned several security firms, global communications companies and was hooked in with a number of European and South American governments. He often had access to things that weren't even unclassified yet.

So I called in a favor.

The townhouse attic now served as command central. I told Bella the gist of what I was doing, but I wasn't sure she appreciated the extent of it. I had cameras on every possible access point of the townhouse as well as across the street. I also tapped into the city cameras for a four block area and could watch for potential threats via both infrared and laser detection.

Better yet, if it was breached, it sent a silent alarm to not only the NYPD, but to me, Charlie, Seth, Emmett and FBI HQ automatically.

But the best part: most of it was undetectable. I had also tapped into one of Eleazar's satellite systems and I could monitor other parts of the city as well, including my parents new place, Jasper and Alice's, Rose and Emmett's and the place in the Hamptons.

I would stop at nothing to protect my family.

If I couldn't be on the offensive, then I would build fucking Fort Knox to live in.

At least I had that.

"Edward, are you ready?" Bella pulled me from my musings as I picked up one more load to leave. We almost had everything over to the townhouse and then we would start unpacking.

I had taken Bella's suggestion and went to see Ms. Cope a few weeks prior. Not only did I want to discuss the move, but also the things that happened to Bella. She helped me put my anger and frustration with the situation into more productive things. Like my job, moving, and focusing on my family. That was part of the reason the move was going much more easily than we anticipated.

We repainted and redecorated to make it ours, but most of the changes were cosmetic. Eric would be taking my room and Lucy would have Alice's old room. We decided to make my brother's room an extra guest bedroom and just leave it as my mother had redecorated it. I wasn't quite ready for someone to be in there and we hadn't ruled out having another child yet.

Well, at least we would find out more about that in a week.

For now, we were focusing on the good in our life and trying to simply spend time with our children and our families.

Yeah, I was trying to channel my aggression into something else instead: training.

If I couldn't go back out in the field then I was going to make damn sure that the ones who did were ready. I moved to a position of training nearly four afternoons per week. I even expanded the home gym my father had in the lower level to include a kickboxing bag, and a few more things for the martial arts.

I wanted to be back in my best form…just in case.

I wasn't going back. But if I ever ran across James fucking Raven or any of the other members of the Draconi crime family, I was surely going to be ready to take them out.

Immediately.

"E, what's up man? You look tense," Emmett asked me as we pulled in front of the townhouse. I realized I hadn't said a word the entire ride over and he hadn't asked me to.

So maybe my aggression wasn't _entirely_ channeled yet.

"Nothing man, just thinking."

"You're not still considering going back out are you?" He said lowly as he glanced in the rear view mirror. I could see Bella pulling up behind us in our Land Rover and I glanced back at him and shook my head.

"Good. Because I don't know about you, but I'm too old for that shit." Emmett snickered and I finally cracked a smile.

We opened our doors to continue the move and whip things into shape. My sister barked orders as Bella told her where everything should go and in a matter of an hour they were ready to go back for the final load.

I decided to stay behind and set up a few other things.

The stairs to the attic pulled down from the ceiling making it obvious where it was located. But I had a contractor come in the week before and build another spiral staircase behind a false wall in our bedroom.

I wanted another entrance, and exit.

After I checked to make sure both were working properly and were accessible, I climbed the new staircase and walked into command central. I checked all of the monitors and satellite feeds to make sure they were working properly. I had backup generators and backup alarm systems installed as well, so the home would never fall dark.

It might as well have been Leavenworth.

Once I made sure the technological aspects of the security system were in place, I checked the physical ones.

I no longer had a secret storage place for my collection of weaponry; instead they were behind the walls via a coded access panel. It required both a retinal screen and cheek swab.

It ran a DNA test.

Yes, Eleazar knew and only used the best.

After the one minute test, the wall opened to reveal my collection of knives, guns, and other paraphernalia. If anyone ever threatened to hurt my family again, they weren't getting out easy, I wouldn't let them.

"Where's Edward?" I heard through the monitor.

"I don't know. I thought he stayed here." Bella's voice was filled with confusion and I knew it was time I return to my family and guests.

I quickly closed up the collection, did a double check of the systems and then descended the stairs.

Shuffling from the master bathroom caught my attention and I peaked in.

"Jesus! Edward you scared me!" Bella jumped, her eyes wide and hand over her chest.

"Sorry Liefje," I hushed as I walked forward and put my arms around her.

"Where were you?"

"The attic."

Her brow furrowed and she peered at me. "What exactly is in the attic?"

I swallowed and looked away.

Honesty, I'd promised her that. But it was hard to let go of the part of me, that secret agent part.

"Our…uh…security system."

"Do I even want to know? I mean I do, but do I want to know the extent of it?"

"Probably not. Just know it's taken care of. I'll show you it when we're ready."

"Ready for what?" She shook her head.

"A day that will hopefully never come." I shrugged.

She sighed. "Yeah." She wrapped her arms around me and snuggled her head into my chest. "I'm tired."

"I bet."

"Let's go order some pizza, thank our friends and family for their help, and take a break."

"Good idea." I kissed the top of her head and started to pull her from our bedroom. It was weird considering it had been my parents' bedroom for so long. But it was ours.

"Promise me there's nothing that can hurt Eric or Lucy?" Bella glanced up and then back at me.

"I promise. I'll take you up there sometime, just not now. Okay?"

She nodded and we walked downstairs to spend time with our friends and family, and to avoid the real reason for the room in the attic; to avoid thinking about who was still out there and why we needed it.

*&^%$#

Training day.

I used to look forward to it as a means of keeping my skills up to date. But lately, I craved it. I needed the outlet, the release, both physical and mental.

The mats were already packed with all of the younger agents practicing holds and releases. I caught Biers' gaze across the way. After I returned to work, I spoke with Fortnight again to find out more about Biers. Turned out he had a similar start to me in the FBI. He was the top of his class in every aspect and Peter had similarly taken him under his wing.

The one thing he lacked was the edge. Fortnight wanted me to teach him that.

When I found out more about his background, I was more inclined to help than before. My suspicions were replaced with a sense of empathy. His parents had been normal working class people from Long Island. He had an older sister by eight years who was a legal assistant at a large law firm in the city.

Then when he was twelve, everything changed. His firefighter father went to work on a normal Tuesday morning and his sister went to her law firm on the ninety-second floor of Tower One.

And in the blink of an eye, his seemingly happy childhood was shattered.

He was left at school until his mother could make it home from her job in the city, unknowing of what happened to his entire family. Waiting for the inevitable.

A life forever changed, his mother lost their home and began to spiral into depression and drinking. He picked up with the wrong crowd in his then much worse Brooklyn neighborhood and he was seemingly on the fast track to juvey or eventually jail.

Then he turned eighteen and he had a run in with one strong force of a cop.

A man by the name of Charlie Swan.

It was funny how life had never ending loops and links to it. In any other world I would have never met Charlie Swan or Riley Biers. As unbelievable as it was, all persons were interconnected. It was as though Biers was meant to meet Charlie as much as I was meant to meet Bella on that fateful day at Gray's.

Charlie knew Riley's father from their high school days. Possibly acquaintances, maybe more, it didn't matter. Charlie put the fear of God in Riley that he had been missing for the last six years and told him that his father would be disappointed in his decisions, that he needed to rise up from and it and quit feeling sorry for himself and do something about it instead.

So he did. He joined the Marines and served his country in Afghanistan. When he returned he finished his degree and immediately applied for the FBI. His IQ wasn't as high as many, but he had an innate sense about him to detect and function in bad situations. He had street smarts. Not to mention he was off the charts in his acuity and quickness.

I began to put together the symbol of the Phoenix on his back and his rebirth. Sometimes it takes seeing the devil to send us in the right direction.

I still didn't like being considered a mentor or having him considered my protégé, but I was more willing to help than I originally had been. And as I had made my decision not to return to the field, I wanted to make sure anyone else who was going under was at his or her peak.

"Alright gather round." I crossed my arms as I saw Biers and another agent step away from some hand to hand moves they were working on and the rest made a half circle.

"We're going to work on multiple attackers today." I started to explain that I wanted teams of three to start, each person had to try to defend off his or her attackers and then we would move to additional group scenarios where two would fend off four and so on.

The groups moved into their positions and I walked around to assist, show moves or make suggestions for how to get out of a jam. The most important thing to remember with any group attack was to stay calm and use the other attackers against one another.

My mind wandered back to a certain night in the Bronx when I realized everyone had completed the exercises. The thrill of remembering that fight, regardless of how gory, coursed through my veins and I had the itch to jump in as well.

"Biers, Johnson, Bigsby, and Voorhies, you're with me this time."

Eyes widened as I took my position.

"How do you want to do this Sir?" Agent Johnson asked.

Maybe I was being cocky, but fuck it. I was the best, and I wanted to prove that. They needed to know their weaknesses and know that they could always run into someone as good as me.

"All of you, against me."

"Okay." Johnson rolled his eyes like I was overreaching. I'd show them.

"You know Biers is on our team right?" Johnson jabbed.

I nodded and stood still, arms crossed over my chest. "Are you going to keep talking Johnson, or are you going to attack?" I challenged.

His eyes widened and I took that as my opportunity to go on the offensive. I took his legs out from under him as Voorhies and Bigsby went for my back. I flipped, knocking Bigsby in the chest and Voorhies in the groin and at the same time, I elbowed Johnson in the ribs. After I fake "sliced" him, Johnson was out of the game and I met Biers eyes again.

The three of them formed a circle and I watched as they tried to plan their attack. This time it was Voorhies who came at me. We traded a punch and I threw him into Biers as I spun around to plant a blow to Bigsby. I needed Biers distracted because he was the best. But they weren't doing a very good job as a team to avoid takeouts and work together. I landed another punch on Bigsby and once he was down and "out." I turned my attention back to Biers and Voorhies, who were coming at me.

I blocked his first punch and tossed him. Then Biers came in low, driving me back toward Voorhies. I kicked, taking out his knee and spun to catch Voorhies in the gut again. But I needed to get him out as well.

Biers locked on my neck and I waited until Voorhies stood up again, marching toward me with a menacing glare. I waited until the last second when he lifted his arm to strike and spun out of Biers choke hold. I caught Voorhies in the kidney and threw him into Biers. Once they were both down the sequence was over.

But this time I didn't walk away when we were finished. I took the agents step by step through what I did, and what I could have done better. We discussed how it would have changed depending on the type of weaponry the various parties had.

Then I went through what Biers, Bigsby, Johnson and Voorhies should have done. Voorhies sneered at me from the corner of the mat, but I didn't care. I wanted them to be the best; that was it. I didn't need a pissing match or agents acting like fucking babies.

"Now, does anyone have any questions?" I asked.

"What's the most men you've taken out in one sitting?"

"By myself?" Agent Leber nodded and I sighed. "Five." I answered and his eyes widened. "But it's not a good thing." I continued. "If you ever find yourself in that situation, it's because you've likely done something wrong. Usually opponents move in packs of two or three. You should never be that outnumbered and isolated from your fellow agents."

"What if you're alone?" Biers asked quietly.

"Don't find yourself in that situation," I stated with finality.

I looked at my watch noting that it was well past our designated time and I dismissed everyone to hit the showers. I gathered my things, making notes on today's training session and jotting down things I wanted to cover next time when I felt Biers at my elbow.

"How did you get out of my hold, you never explained that?"

I glanced up and looked at his eager gaze. "You're fast Riley, but you're inattentive. You loosened your grip in the expectation of Voorhies hitting me and I waited until you were distracted by it. You must never let up." I annunciated.

He nodded and started to ask something else when my cell phone rang.

"Excuse me." I grabbed the phone and smiled when I saw Bella's beautiful face lighting up the screen.

"Hi Liefje."

"Are you done with training? I was just wondering what you wanted for dinner."

"What were you thinking?"

"Well, I was thinking we could order in, since the kids are at your parents and I was cleared today."

My ears perked up and I turned my back to Biers. "Were you now? Honestly, Liefje then I'm not going to be that interested in eating _food_ ," I said lowly.

Bella giggled and hummed on the other end of the line. "Maybe you should get home then and I'll surprise you."

"Leaving now." I smiled through the phone and we said our good-byes.

A grin graced my face as I turned back to Biers.

 _I was getting laid tonight damnit._

"Sorry, but I have to go. I have a very important date tonight."

"Your wife, Sir?"

"Yes." I smiled, letting my mind drift in a more pleasant, albeit dirty direction.

"She sounds wonderful…from what I've heard I mean."

"She is," I sighed and gathered up my bag. "You know Biers. I've been in your shoes and I know that right now you have tunnel vision about this job. But don't let this alone define you. There's more to life than the FBI."

With that, I threw my bag over my shoulder to hit the showers quickly before I left.

But not before I heard Biers mutter, "not for me."

I shook my head, thankful that it was no longer me saying those words. I did my time, and I had my family to take care of. I was no longer _that_ agent.

Or at least that's what I was going to keep telling myself.

 **XXXX**


	9. Chapter 8- Compartmentalize

_**Chapter Eight: Compartmentalize**_

" _ **We Belong" by Pat Benatar**_

 **~Agent Cullen~**

"Liefje?" I stepped into the house at half past six. I had hauled ass through the showers and out of the office to get home since my wife got the "go ahead."

Fuck, it had been a long eight weeks.

To say I needed a different kind of release besides my mental and physical ones was an understatement. My shower each morning wasn't doing it for me. Bella helped a few times, but it wasn't the same when I couldn't fully be with her. There was something about having that connection to her; staring deep into her eyes and watching her lose herself with me.

The house was dark with the exception of a light filtering down the upstairs hallway. It was the time of year that once dusk set in, the house became dark and quiet. I pulled off my jacket and shoes and set the security panel by the door before I made my way to the stairs.

With each step, music playing from our bedroom grew a bit louder. I walked to our doorway and peered around the corner before walking in. There,in only a short black silk robe, was Bella. Her hips were swaying to the beat of Pat Benatar as she lit candles on our dresser. A tray of strawberries, cheeses and other finger foods was next to them, along with two glasses of wine.

She looked absolutely edible herself: all long creamy legs, hair down around her shoulders and her face warm with excitement.

Bella flicked out a match and threw it in the garbage as I pushed off the doorway and snuck up behind her.

"Oh!" She jumped in surprise as my hands gripped her waist and steadied her. I leaned down to place a kiss at the juncture of her neck and she trembled.

"Mmmm. Good evening, Agent Cullen."

"Good evening, Mrs. Cullen." I was already rock hard from her first indication of tonight's plans on the phone, and I pressed against her.

"Someone's happy to see me," she chuckled, and I let my hand move from her hip, around her stomach to her belt.

"I'm always happy to see you," I murmured as my lips and tongue moved across her shoulder and up her neck. My hand worked her robe away as Bella tipped her head to the side while my other hand fumbled for her belt.

I found the tie and pulled until the robe came open, and then I spun her around. I knew she wouldn't be feeling all confident and sexy. I had to show her that again. She looked amazing, fuller maybe, but I loved it. She was the mother of my children, how could I think any differently?

Her espresso eyes met mine as I leaned in to taste her while at the same time pulling her against me and pushing her robe to the floor. The silk pooled around our feet as our tongues met and I pushed mine inside her mouth to claim her.

Eight weeks of need erupted between us. I knew I needed to be slow and gentle the first time, but it was going to practically kill me.

 _Not the worst way to go._

Bella pushed her hands on my shoulders and I moved backwards toward the bed. I sat and pulled her between my legs as her hands relieved me of my shirt and then shimmied my jeans down my legs. Her fingers worked their way back up over my thighs, my abs and my chest as her eyes took me in. I could tell she was hungry for me, as hungry as I was for her.

When she settled her gaze on my new tattoo, a shiver ran through me. Her lips kissed right over the fresh ink—only a few weeks old—noting mijn meisje and her birthdate. My fingers threaded through her hair and I brought her back up to kiss me, long and hard and deep.

Just like I planned to take her.

I snaked one hand down and circled lightly to get her ready. I could tell by the way her hips met mine and she pushed into my hand that it wouldn't take much. But I still had to make sure she was ready.

When a low moan escaped her as I trailed my tongue down her chest, careful to avoid her nipples, but still tasting her, I knew she was ready.

Standing up, I pulled her into my arms and turned around to lay her on the bed. I was aching for her, but it needed to wait. I needed to show my wife how beautiful she was to me, how much I loved her, and how I couldn't live a day without her.

Lips, fingers, hands, I used everything in my power to kiss every inch of her. From the pink scar on her lower abdomen to the sweet spot along her inner thigh, I had her shaking and begging me.

"Edward please, just…make love to me."

I crawled up her body and placed my hands on either side of her face before I kissed her.

"Let me know if I'm hurting you," I murmured as I met her gaze.

She nodded and then sighed as I pressed inside, feeling more complete than I had in eight weeks. It was as if the world was right again.

 _Hot, tight…Jesus._

"Fuck Liefje." I gritted my teeth because, damn, she felt perfect.

She bit her lip as I pulled back and pushed in again, going deeper. I felt her tense and then relax as I pulled that lip from her mouth with my teeth.

Slowly, we gained speed, pushing and pulling and just feeling everything between us.

"Oh God, I forgot how amazing you feel," Bella moaned in my ear. My tongue laved at the spot below her ear as I pulled her leg higher to push farther, deeper.

Always deeper.

"I know. I missed you Liefje."

"I missed you too." She groaned as I thrust again, harder. She closed her eyes and dug her fingers into my back. The pain provided a moment of clarity for me, because I was hanging on by a thread.

I sat back enough to move my hand between us and run circles over her clit, simultaneously pulling all the way out slowly and then driving back in quickly.

"Edward!" Her hair was tossed back against the pillows and her full breasts moved with each thrust.

Damn, breastfeeding sure had its advantages.

My own head fell back, unable to take in the sight before me, lest I lose it before I got her there.

So I talked instead.

"That's it baby. Fuck Bella, you feel so fucking good." I looked back down seeing her body flush red, so close to losing it. I covered her with my own body and pulled her legs higher as I drove into her. She finally snapped and clung to me as she came, her body tensing and then pulsing around me. I groaned at the feeling and thrust again until the most powerful orgasm I had felt in ages ripped through me.

We gasped for breath as our sweaty skin stuck together. But I didn't care. I kissed all over her face as our breaths steadied, and gave her a silly grin.

"What are you staring at Cullen?" She asked, and I knew she was feeling okay. She only called me Cullen when she was frisky and teasing.

"My sexy wife."

Bella rolled her eyes and I shook my head at her.

"Don't. You look fantastic. You give yourself too much grief. I love you no matter what, but seriously Liefje you don't even look like you just had a baby." I kissed her slowly, trying to make her forget about her insecurities.

"Yeah?" she finally asked as I pulled away.

I smiled down at her and dug my fingers into her side, making her wail with laughter. "Oh yeah, and as soon as we have something to eat, I'm going to show you again," I teased.

"Hmmm. You're on Agent Cullen." Her eyes sparkled with mischief and I grinned back.

 _Two times in one night. Hell yeah._

*&^%$#

"Hey E, what's up man?" Emmett shouted into the phone.

I could hear the buzz of a precinct in the background and I knew Emmett must be at work.

"Not much McCarty. What's up with you?"

"Same old, same old. Some cracked out joker decides he needs to take a few hookers hostage and my day's all fucked up. How's the family? How's Bella doing?"

"She's good…" I paused, needing to get to the meat of things. "So the reason I really called…" I trailed off.

"I knew there was a reason. You don't usually call me during the middle of the day for no reason. I just had to wait you out." He chuckled and I smiled to myself.

"I need a favor. You worked in Miami for a while right? You still have some connections down there?"

"Yeah, I've got some friends there. Why? What do you need?" The buzz started to diminish as I could tell he must have been seeking some privacy.

"Word on the street is there's a contact in Miami. Volturi was able to get his men out back in '04 somehow, and they all went to South America. I'm thinking it might have been down there."

"So, why does that matter now?" Emmett questioned.

I looked down at the packet of information before me. Garrett had been keeping me in the loop on any developments with Volturi, Raven, Kebi, and even J. Frederico. I wasn't sure his role yet, whether he was related to any of these men, but my instincts told me he was.

And one of the issues on the paper sparked an interest in me.

"Because something's not adding up to me. Agent Morgan has been keeping me up to date. He flags any increased black market traffic in the fifteen largest metros. Recently, drug and human trafficking has increased 12% in Miami, which isn't that strange considering the amount of different black market contacts down there."

It was common knowledge Miami-Dade was like a chasm for black market product. The extremely diverse makeup of the area, climate and number of ways product could be shipped in and out of the area made it very attractive for any black market entrepreneur. But 12% in an area that was already one of the biggest importers and exporters of commodities was a huge increase.

"Well you know Battle was the big one down there when I was there. I worked on the mission to put him away."

I nodded, knowing only too well of Jose Miguel Battle Jr., "Who stepped in after him?" I mumbled as I looked at the pictures before me.

"I don't know, there was word of some Brazilian infiltrating, but I left once we sacked Battle and moved on to the next mission. You know how it is. You wash yourself of a lot of things when you move on…" McCarty trailed off and I knew what he meant.

The Miami mission had been his most gruesome, deepest cover that he had. In a lot of ways it was as bad as Romania for me.

Then I thought of something. "When did you take Battle out?"

"It was early 2006, why? Where are you going with this?"

I sighed as I rubbed my temples. None of the men in the pictures before me looked familiar. But something was nagging at me. "That's right after my mission in Brazil ended," I responded.

Silence swept between us and I could almost hear the wheels turning in his head.

"You think you flushed someone out? From Brazil to Miami?" Emmett asked. "What's it matter anyway?"

"I've just been…thinking. You know I turned down Fortnight's offer, but I'm still trying to piece some things together if I can. I'm trying to help put together any names faces, etc."

"You just can't let it go, can you?" Emmett jibed. "It's alright man, I get it. Listen, let me call a couple people and see if I can get any information. If anything we'll make a trip south. Drink some mojitos and hit the beach."

"I'm not leaving New York and you know that." My voice was firm, though his offer intrigued me.

"Edward, I'm not suggesting we go down and fuck around for a week. Two days, we go hit the beat, I hit up some old contacts and find out what we can."

I hummed as I thought of McCarty's offer. I didn't want to leave Bella and the kids, but something in my gut was telling me that Miami held a secret.

"What would Rose say? It's not like you can just take off now either. You have Ethan and another one on the way too," I half-heartedly tried to convince him.

"It's business. Rose will understand…Listen E, if it will put your mind at ease, or make you feel useful, then I think we should do it. I don't think it will hurt anything. It's been a long time since I was there and you've never been there. So what can happen?"

"Right," I muttered. "Let me think about it."

"Well keep me posted. I have to let the department know a few days in advance. But I can pretty much go whenever you need me to. Now that Bella and the kids are in the townhouse, you should be okay. I'll even have a few of the Blue do an extra sweep of the area while we're gone."

"Ok, I'll get back to you."

"Later man."

I hung up the phone and scrubbed my hands over my face. I wasn't sure what Bella would make of me leaving for two days to go on a wild goose chase in Miami. But I felt like I knew something. Pouring over papers from last missions and new information about the crime contingents across the country was only cathartic to a point. Now that I thought I might have found something—I wasn't sure what yet—I felt like I needed to act on it.

I flipped through a few more pictures and photographs on my desk when suddenly a face caught my eye.

The photo was grainy, but I could make out jet black hair that nearly reached her ass and a thin arm around a familiar curly haired head.

I stared at the photo, trying to determine if I was making something of nothing. Perhaps I was projecting my memories onto the information before me because I wanted it to mean something. But the photograph didn't get any better and neither did the feeling my gut.

"Yeah we'll see," I sighed to myself as I threw my head back.

*&^%$#

"Daddy!" A storm of blond hair hit me with a rush and I reached down to pick up Eric and spin him around.

"What are you doing Zoonie? You're covered in..." I looked down and frowned, "glitter."

"I was making a turkey?"

"Turkeys don't have glitter on them." I scrunched up my face and my three year old rolled his eyes.

 _Great._

"Not a real turkey daddy, an art turkey."

Art. That's right it was Tuesday.

Ever since Bella had been home with Eric she decided to have more "structured" time with him. She wanted him to be ready for preschool the next year so she started to plan times with him. Mondays were for music, Tuesdays were for art, Wednesdays were food days where they made something fun in the kitchen together, and Thursdays were for Karate.

Once Bella was cleared for activity again, she started taking self-defense and martial arts classes with her trainer. It made me nervous—just the thought of her having to defend herself again—but I was glad she was doing it. As a result, she had decided to start showing Eric some of the basics and it was a fun way for them to bond. We wanted him to do all sorts of different classes—piano, karate, sports. But at the age of 3 he wasn't quite focused enough to sit through an entire class or lesson. Though many other kids started that young, I didn't want to push him into anything and burn him out on it. This way it was just fun, and good bonding time for them. Then, if he really showed an interest in something we could sign him up for it.

I carried Zoonie into the kitchen and looked at our usually sparkling granite counter top which was now covered in glue, glitter, construction paper and other decorative things. Bella was humming and putting a finishing touch on a turkey as Lucy was asleep in her portable rocker.

"Hi Liefje." I leaned down to kiss her and she hummed into my kiss.

"Hi, how was your day?"

"It was good. I see you've been busy."

She smiled. "We have. Eric, why don't you show Daddy everything we made."

I settled in beside Eric as he showed me all of his "hand turkeys" and other decorations they made for the upcoming holiday. Bella laughed as Eric babbled and got even more glitter all over himself.

She started dinner while I dug into my share of adornments and soon enough we were both covered in glue, glitter, fake eyeballs and feathers.

 _Wow, how the mighty have fallen._

Bella grabbed Eric to clean him up for dinner and I walked to the sink to attempt to wash some of the crap off of me. I glanced in the reflection in the window and realized I had it all over my face and even in my hair.

I looked up to see Bella laughing as she clasped Eric in his highchair and walked around to help me.

"What are you laughing at?"

"You. My tough agent all covered in glitter."

I leaned over at the twinkle in her eye and snaked my hand to her ass. "I'd like to see the glitter on you, only the glitter."

Bella's breath caught as my lips grazed her ear and I gave her ass a squeeze. I pulled back to see the dark look in her eyes and her flushed cheeks.

"Perhaps that can be arranged," she whispered, and I smirked.

"Later," I whispered and gave her a quick, but hard kiss and turned back around to finish cleaning up for dinner.

Just then Lucy began to stir and I finished washing my hands so I could grab her.

"Are you just going to feed her here?"

"You can feed her. I pumped earlier."

"Getting ready to go back?" I asked knowingly as I picked her up.

"Yeah. And trying to save some for when we actually get to have a night out." She smiled as she warmed up a bottle for Lucy.

"That's right. I can't wait."

The following weekend my parents were planning to come and stay with the kids. They had officially moved into their new apartment and either sold or moved the rest of their things to the Hamptons house. But my Mom was missing her grandchildren and we needed the night out. It was a win-win for everyone.

It would be our first "date" since Lucy had been born. Then the following week Bella was planning to start working again.

She had decided she couldn't give it up completely, but she was training one of the coordinators, a level down from her position, to handle several of the things she used to handle. She would no longer handle the interns—a job she wouldn't miss at all—and would focus solely on new exhibitions. This would allow her to work from home more often and have a more flexible schedule, as she wouldn't have to be on site to manage the interns.

I was glad she was going back to work, now that we were a few weeks past everything. I could tell she was getting stir crazy and ready to go back. It was amazing the level of comfort moving to the townhome gave us. It was a clean break from where everything happened and I felt like I had more control over the security and a better eye on what was happening in our neighborhood.

Lucy began to whimper and I bounced her gently. She was much sturdier now, but she was still a little peanut, weighing in at just over 11 lbs.

"Hey baby girl. Are you hungry?" Her eyes fluttered and her mouth puckered in search of nourishment.

"It's okay Mijn Meisje, it'll be ready in a minute." I held her close and kissed her head, taking in her sweet baby smell and rubbing my chin on her thick dark hair. She was an exact replica of Bella, but her eyes looked to be more like mine.

Bella handed me the bottle as she set up Eric with his meal. I just stared at my girl and watched as she drank. It was in those moments that I knew I made the right decision. I belonged here, with my family. Bella and our children were the best thing that ever happened to me and I couldn't—wouldn't—forget that.

Once Lucy finished with a sigh, I put her on my shoulder to burp her and then walked to the nursery to change her. She was a fantastic baby, a thousand times better than Eric, and already sleeping through the night at only 2 ½ months old.

Bella set out our meal once I returned and put Lucy on her play mat. We ate and talked about our days, how Eric loved his art time and how Lucy did.

Then I told her about Miami. Emmett called me back later that day saying he could go the coming weekend.

"Are you sure you need to go?" She asked with trepidation.

"I think so. I'm not going back in the field," I said quickly. "It would just be investigative. But I do feel obligated to help out in any way I can. I know that I am an intricate part of this whole thing, and if I can lend any kind of information, and it will keep you all safe, then I need to do it."

She nodded hesitantly and I put my fork down to look at her. "I was thinking, Charlie and Sue could come here and stay with you."

"Or I could go there."

"Well…" I trailed off.

"Ah…but they don't have a high-tech security system rivaling that of Fort Knox, do they?" She quirked an eyebrow and I shrugged sheepishly.

"That's fine," she sighed. "I'll talk to my Dad and see if they can do it."

"Well, I kind of already did." I scratched the back of my head as I grabbed for my wine glass.

"Edward," she sighed again and grabbed her plate to put it in the sink. Before I could answer her, Eric interrupted.

"Mama, I'm done. Can I go play?" Eric put his hands up and Bella shot me a look. We would finish our discussion later.

I nodded, properly chastised by my wife, and proceeded to clean up Eric. The rest of the evening passed in routine fashion; making a fort, playing airplane, bath time, story time, and finally bed time. I was worn out, but I was also tense. Perhaps I was anticipating Miami or worked up over our little spat. Or maybe it was our renewed intimacy, I wasn't sure. But I felt like I was wound up tight.

As I walked into the master bedroom, I heard the shower running and began to undress. I understood why Bella was angry with me, but I couldn't take any chances. I had failed at protecting them once and I almost lost them. It would never happen again.

I stripped out of my dress shirt and pants as I walked into the bathroom. Showering together wasn't something we got to do until the kids were asleep and it didn't happen very often even then.

The steam poured over the top of the tile, fogging up the doors on the way. But I could still make out her form through the glass. Her long hair was thick with shampoo, trailing down her back and making a path over her round ass to its end.

I watched for a moment, just taking her in, and my hand made its way to my cock without even thinking. Equal parts of me were torn between groveling and sweeping my wife to our bed to make love to her, and taking her hard against the wall of the shower.

As I stood there watching the soap suds move over her rounder curves, I was leaning toward the latter.

The door clicked behind me as I stepped in. My hand trailed over her shoulder, down her side and then gripped her ass. Desire, deep and frantic, suddenly raced through me. It was a common feeling when I was near her, but it was even more consuming in the last few weeks.

Since I could have her again, I wanted her even more. The release, the feeling of white heat leaving my body, taking away the tension and pushing away the monster was what I sought each day.

It was a constant state of balance. I felt like I was perched on a high wire. I had to compartmentalize my thoughts to those of work, of home, of FBI, of father, of agent, of family man.

This was the only place it mixed.

My hand gripped Bella's hip without thinking and I spun her around.

"Oh. Edward what are you…?"

But I silenced her with my lips. My mouth pressed hard against hers, my tongue plunged into her as I pulled her against me.

Bella responded vigorously, as I hoped she would. Even though she was mad at me, it was rarely enough to turn down sex. Instead sometimes is spurred us on. My wife was every bit as passionate as she had always been, and if I had learned anything in our four years together, she didn't like me to go easy on her. If anything she liked it when I was a little rough, uninhibited. I used to have a problem with it, but now I realized that it was perfectly natural.

It was a heady feeling, being able to be like that with someone you loved so unconditionally.

I pressed my hands through her hair, tipping her head back and latching onto her neck as I sucked hard on her skin. I felt her tense as her back hit the cold wall and without another thought I lifted her.

Her eyes met mine as I pulled back for just a moment and then drove into her.

"Fuck." She whimpered and bit her lip as I moved against her. Hands gripping my shoulders as my fingers dug into her ass, driving, reaching to relieve the tension as I reached that spot deep inside my wife.

It was the only place I felt like I was weightless, where I could let it all go: anger, passion, urgency, frustration, tension.

Bella bucked her hips into me, eagerly seeking what I was giving her until it was all too much and I captured her mouth as we both came. I kissed her more softly as I set down her shaky legs and held her to me. I turned her around and began to wash her and hugged her back to my chest.

"I'm sorry," I murmured as I pressed my lips to her shoulder. I trailed my hands over her shoulders, gently washing her, hoping my apology was coming through with my actions.

She sighed and turned around to put her hands on my shoulders and look me straight in the eye.

"Edward, I know the pressure you're under and I know the war that's raging inside you right now. Don't think I don't. I do. I know what you gave up by choosing to stay and not go on that mission. I just want you to make me your first call when you're thinking of these things. Not my father, not the protective detail and not Emmett."

I nodded, swallowing as I let her continue.

"I have no problem with you going to Miami with Emmett. Just tell me. Okay? Just tell me."

"Okay." I nodded and kissed her again as the water began to cool around us.

With that our fight was forgotten and we readied for bed.

My mind drifted as I curled around Bella and sleep found us. I was cleared to go to Miami, I just wasn't sure what I would find there.

 _ *** &^%$#**_

 _ **Bella Cullen**_

"Bella!"

"Hi Quil. What are you doing here?" I smiled and ruffled my nephew's head. He was as much my nephew as any kid. Leah and I had become much closer in the last few years and my father made Sue's grandkids his own as well.

"Grandma's watching me because Mom has to work today." He shrugged, seemingly content with it.

"She's working on a Saturday?" I asked. That was strange considering she was just an entry level analyst.

"Mom says her boss is a hard a—"

"Quil Black!" Sue stopped him and bopped him on the head." I chuckled and laughed at Quil's shrug. He ran off to play with his brother and I handed a sleeping Lucy to Sue as she followed Quil and Embry into our home.

"Hi Sue, how was the drive in?" I half-hugged her as she stared down at my baby girl.

"Just fine, I just couldn't wait to see this little one." She stroked her face and held her close. "Where's Eric?"

"Taking a nap. Where's Dad?"

"He's grabbing some things from the car."

I nodded and led her to the family room where Quil and Embry were already setting up Edward's X-box.

 _Boys._

The snacks were already arranged and the boys were well on their way to a riveting game of Madden when my father walked in. He kissed me on the head and immediately stole Lucy from Sue and took his spot in the big oversized arm chair.

We chatted and caught up on our past few weeks while everyone settled in. At Edward's prodding, Charlie and Sue had come to stay with us for the weekend. Edward and Emmett were able to catch a flight late Friday night and I convinced him we would be fine until Charlie and Sue got there Saturday morning, especially considering we had a protective detail outside.

Though I had to admit I was uneasy with him gone, and I was nervous about him being in Miami. He always seemed invincible to me, but rationally I knew he wasn't. I just wanted him to be careful. Yet, I also knew he had to do this. I could see it eating away at him that he felt like he was on the side lines. A true mission hadn't been put into place yet because they didn't have enough information to go after any of them—Raven, Kebi etc. Instead, Edward told me they were working their contacts in South America and Europe. Our agents across the world were keeping their eyes open and the Bureau was hoping for a break.

Then…what? I wasn't sure. Edward wasn't even sure since he turned down Fortnight's offer. But I knew something big was on the horizon.

I pulled myself from my thoughts and got up to refill the bowls of snacks and grab some drinks for the kids. It was nice having them there, but I was starting to feel a bit housebound with everything. It was important for Edward to go to Miami. He wanted Raven and whoever else was in on my attack caught, so that we could go back to living our lives like normal.

He was very nervous about my return to work and even set up a driver to take me to and from the office. We would no longer be taking Eric and Lucy to our former daycare provider's either. Instead, Eric and Lucy were going to a private daycare close to the Met for the few days I would be working. I was disappointed because June was so good with our kids. But I understood his reservations about the security at our former building.

I popped more popcorn and tossed in some M & M's when I heard footsteps coming into the kitchen. I looked up to see my father standing in the doorway, hands in his pockets, flannel shirt and jeans, just as he had always been.

"Want a beer Dad? We have Coors in the fridge."

He nodded and walked over, but I could tell by his silence that he was pondering something to tell me. As I prepped the last of the snacks and grabbed juice for the kids I looked up at him.

"Is something wrong?"

He sighed and took a long pull from his can before setting it on the granite counter top. "I brought that stuff of your grandmother's here."

"Okay. Well did you have a chance to look through it yet?"

"No." He shook his head. "Part of me is worried to. I don't know if I want to know what it might tell me."

"What do you mean?"

He scratched the back of his head and leaned over the counter. "What if it tells us we're related to a bunch of criminals? That's a lot to stomach."

I shrugged, having moved past my relation to Aro Volturi long ago. But I also wasn't on the streets seeing firsthand the kind of destruction the mafia and their counterparts waged on the people of the Burroughs.

"You always said we were Swans right? Regardless of the blood?"

"Yeah." My Dad nodded but continued to contemplate something.

"There's something else too. I'm a little concerned about—"

"Bella, I think…Oh I'm sorry, I hope I wasn't interrupting?" Sue walked in just then with a fussing Lucy.

"It's okay Sue. She's probably just hungry." I smiled and took her from Sue. I patted her back and turned back to my father.

"Can we go somewhere tomorrow?"

He quirked a brow at me and I stopped him before he told me Edward wouldn't like it.

"Dad, I'm just as safe with you as I am with Edward. Hell, bring a squad car. I don't care. But I need to get out of here for a while."

He nodded, acquiescing to my request. "Where do you want to go?"

I swallowed and looked down at the fragile little beauty in my arms. My life, a part of me that, just like Edward and my father, I would stop at nothing to protect.

"The shooting range," I said as I looked him in the eye.

With that, I walked out before he could tell me 'no' and went to go feed my daughter.

Oh the juxtaposition of that statement, I thought humorlessly as I climbed the stairs.

*&^%$#

"You need to bend your legs a bit and put one foot slightly in front of the other so you have better balance. If the gun kicks back and you're locking your legs, you'll have to step and it will throw you off balance before your next shot. This way you can absorb it better and move to your next sequence."

My father shouted instruction at me and adjusted my arms to show me better technique. I was rusty. Not that I was ever a sharp shooter by any means. The few times he took me to the range after Eric was born were enough to make me learn how to point and shoot a gun, but I didn't really master the technique of shooting at a target very well.

But that was going to change.

I was convinced that I was going to protect myself. Regardless of how much Edward wanted to protect me, I knew there would be times that I would be by myself. I couldn't carry a gun, but should I ever get in the position where I had one, I wanted to know how to use it.

Edward showed me how to access the security "command center" that he installed in our attic only a week prior. At first I was intimidated. But then my need to protect our family kicked in and I wanted to know everything. He kept all of the guns behind the secured wall except for one.

Edward had one hand gun stored in the top of the closet. It was high and away from the kids, but easy access just in case we needed it.

It was a Glock, standard issue FBI, and I requested to shoot with the same gun at the range.

My father wasn't exactly happy about bringing me here. He saw it as putting his little girl in harm's way. But I wasn't a little girl anymore, and harm seemed to find me without my seeking it.

So I had to act. I had to be the one to become an asset, and not a liability like I had been for so long.

I never liked guns, and never liked the idea of having them in the house. But I had to admit the cool metal in my hand and the powerful kickback from each shot sent a jolt of adrenaline through my body. I could understand the rush, the electric feeling that being in command of something so deadly gave a person.

I fired the last bullet from the Glock and lowered my aim. My dad pressed the button and the target sped toward us on an electric wire.

"Hmmm," he hummed and hawed and assessed my work. "Not bad. Not bad at all, you're starting to get the hang of this."

I smiled wide as I noticed that I hit the target with every single shot this time. It wasn't great, but it was in the circular space and I was very happy about it.

"Well, I'm planning to come every Wednesday. I'm also taking a class from the same trainer that I worked with before on Mondays, Wednesdays and Friday afternoons."

My father gave me a questioning look and I knew what he was thinking.

"I have to be able to defend myself Dad. I can't have something like that happen again. And whether you and Edward like it or not, I can't live in a bubble for the rest of my life either," I said sternly.

He nodded and turned to look at the target lying on the table.

"You always were stubborn, just like me. But your tenacity is your mother's. I never could argue with her about anything." He shook his head lost in thought for a moment and then sighed heavily. "I'll meet you here…on Wednesdays."

I started to protest but he stopped me. "I want you to know what you're doing, and I don't want any of these yahoos showing you," he gestured.

I laughed under my breath because I wasn't oblivious to the looks I got when I came in. But I was also Captain Swan's daughter and they wouldn't fuck with me for that reason alone.

My father hummed for a moment before glancing around furtively. "Yesterday in the kitchen…there's something else I need to tell you. I haven't told Sue and I didn't want to say anything around the kids."

"What Dad? Is something going on? You're not sick or something are you?" I said nervously.

"No, no. Nothing like that." He reassured me. "It's Leah. There's…" he trailed off and blew out a breath. "I think there's something going on with her boss, but I don't quite know what yet?"

"Really? But, I thought the FBI vetted Reycon after the takedown and Kebi skipped the country?"

"I thought so too. But it's very possible that he had someone working on the inside there that wasn't flagged. It was a big operation. Sometimes when you're focusing on the bigger fish, smaller ones slip through the net."

"Anyhow, some of the things Leah has mentioned just make me think that something is going on there."

"Like what?"

"Well she's often working at odd hours. Not just overtime, but weird hours like late at night. And it's not just checking emails or remote access, things like you do. She's making deliveries and meeting with 'business contacts.' It all seems odd to me."

"Wait, what division is she in again?" I knew she had just been promoted, but our life had been so crazy that I couldn't remember where to.

"That's the other thing. She's not a scientist; she has a business degree. But she's working in the new product development area and even more specifically with development of antiserums for different strains of biological weapons."

"Isn't that kind of work usually confidential?" I asked, wondering how my father knew this information.

"Nothing is ever completely confidential, Bella. You of all people should know that."

I rolled my eyes, properly chastened, but still wondering what he was getting at.

"Regardless, she's not qualified enough to be there. I can't help but wonder if she wasn't promoted there because of who she is."

Suddenly I finally understood what my father was getting at.

Jacob. His contacts with the Dracs and other men in the underworld.

Our family.

"You don't think she's in on it do you?" I asked hesitantly.

"No. But I do think her boss might be using her for her level of knowledge about the city and the less than appealing parts of it."

"Why would Leah know about that?"

My father sighed again and rubbed his head.

"Dad?"

"Harry told me this in complete confidence, so you can't let on that I told you anything. But when Leah graduated from high school she was pretty lost for a few years before she settled down with Jacob. She was in with some shady people, some of which are the ones Jacob dealt with. Let's just say she didn't make her money the way her parents wanted her to."

I gasped, disbelieving that the Leah I knew could ever do something like that.

"Are you saying she was a prostitute?" I whispered lowly.

"I don't know about that, but she was a dancer at a very dangerous club up in the Bronx. And she started to develop a pretty nasty addiction before Sue and Harry hauled her home and cleaned her up. Then she went to school for a year or two and met Jacob. No one really knew except for a few of Harry's closest friends because he needed us to keep an eye out for her."

"Dad…" I said shaking my head. I couldn't believe all of this. But I still didn't understand what he needed from me. "Why are you telling me all of this now?"

He leaned against the corral and crossed his arms over his chest, double checking to make sure no one could hear us. But honestly it was the perfect place for this type of conversation. It was loud as hell in there and no one could hear us unless they were as close as we were.

"Because I feel like it's all coming to a head again. Her boss previously worked in Kebi's department. He comes up clean in our background checks but we're still keeping an eye on him. And I'm concerned with everything that just happened to you. I'm worried that they might try to get to you through her."

I nodded, finally understanding. "Have you talked to Carlisle about this? Maybe he could do something? Or Edward?"

He shook his head. "Not yet, but I'm also worried that if one of them starts snooping around then we will lose the trail, if there is one."

"Hmmm," I hummed, my mind spinning with the new information. But before I could ask any more questions, my father asked one of me.

"I need you to do something for me." I nodded for him to continue and leaned in. "I want you to try to get some information from Leah about her boss. Find out if she knows anything about his background, about who she's meeting with outside the office. Maybe then we can put some things together. I don't think she would suspect anything, nor would it get back to her boss because she would just think you're showing an interest in her new job."

Recon on Reycon, by me.

Well this ought to be interesting. I felt like I was in Edward's position now.

I pondered it for a moment, thinking about how I could corner her. We were definitely friendlier but it wasn't like we hung out without our families.

Maybe it was time to start.

"I can ask her to lunch." I nodded.

"Just be careful. If you think it's not going anywhere, don't push it."

I nodded, lost in thought about how to go about that.

"Captain Swan?" A man called from the doorway to the range. "You have a phone call."

"Why don't you do another round while I take this?" My father nodded to me and I agreed.

I set up my weapon and checked my stance before aiming and firing at the bull's-eye thirty yards away.

A breath of air left me as the paper buzzed through the air back to me. My thoughts were as scattered as the bullets on the sheet. But they were all in the same range. Where that was good with my shooting, it was starting to concern me as to my thought process.

Just as the sheet hit a stop, my father's voice broke my concentration.

"Bella!" He hurried over to me, eyes wide and concerned.

"What's wrong Dad?"

"I just got a phone call. From Seth." He swallowed. "Aro Volturi has been released from prison."

 **XXXX**


	10. Chapter 9- Blade Runner

_**Chapter Nine: Blade Runner**_

" _ **Don't Fear the Reaper" by Blue Oyster Cult**_

 **~Agent Cullen~**

Heat, sweltering heat met me at the terminal gates. It was the warmest fall in years in New York. We'd had temperatures in the sixties in early November. Apparently, Miami was experiencing the heat wave as well.

Except down there the temperatures were in the upper eighties and the humidity was stifling. It reminded me all too much of a similarly hot and unpleasant place.

Romania.

I tossed my bag over my shoulder and turned toward Emmett. His shaded eyes looked across the way to the rental area and I nodded my head. We didn't have time to get very incognito, but Emmett had made a clean exit from Miami after his mission and I had never been here, so we weren't too worried. My hair was longer than normal and I dyed it blonde before I left New York. The blue contacts in my eyes bugged the shit out of me, but there wasn't much I could do about it.

My new hair and eyes coupled with my five day beard provided at least some cover from recognition. That and the spray tan I had.

 _Seriously, the fucking things we do for a mission_.

Emmett walked up to the counter and started chatting with the man to see what they had available. Meanwhile, I quickly pulled out my disposable phone to text Bella. It wasn't a real mission; but we were still undercover in a sense and I couldn't be too careful. The phone could be easily destroyed and never traced back to me. I had given her a similar one with strict instructions to destroy it as well if she hadn't heard from me in a day.

And then she would need to call Garrett, because surely things wouldn't be good at that point.

But I wasn't going to let it get to that.

Garrett wasn't thrilled with our request to make the trip. Emmett wasn't even FBI anymore, but he consulted on a regular enough basis that Garrett was able to swing approval for him. The FBI frequently enlisted the help of local law enforcement. Agent Morgan was able to shuffle together enough money and information to get approval for the two of us to head South.

We were after a small time drug runner who had fled to Miami, or so the FBI thought.

 _It wasn't entirely untrue._

Once my text was sent and I received an immediate answer with an "I love you, be careful", I put my phone away.

"You ready?" Emmett asked as he jingled the keys in front of me.

"As I'll ever be." I donned my aviators and swept a hand through my hair.

The lights blinked on a black Escalade and I shot Emmett a smirk.

"Really?"

"C'mon, we're drug runners. We have to look the part." He chuckled as he slapped different fake license plates on.

I snickered and chucked my bag in the back as I climbed in. "You really rented this on the taxpayers' dime." I halfheartedly tried to make Emmett feel bad.

Emmett rolled his eyes and pulled out of the space. "As if you care Mr. Armani."

I smirked and looked out my window at the passing green. The airport was soon behind us and I watched the palm trees wave in the breeze. Traffic picked up as we got closer to South Beach. I sat back and let Emmett lead the way since we were on his turf.

My mind instantly went to cataloging everything I knew about Volturi and any connections he might have in Miami. Unfortunately it was very little. I thought through our mission in Philadelphia when we took down Volturi. Only a few of his men escaped our mission. None of which were big players in the organization anyhow. I couldn't rule out James or Aman Kebi as they were both still missing. But Kebi was a business man, not truly a drug runner, so I had to question his level of involvement with anything in the underworld long term. I imagined he stuck away millions in an account in the Caymans and was now sitting on some remote island beach in the Caribbean somewhere.

James was at least somewhat on the run, and the recon we had on him suggested he went to Europe. Volturi's sons never showed quite the following of their father that I thought they might. But I could have been wrong.

So who did that leave? Was there a potential connection with Brazil as we suspected. But who? No one from my Brazil mission struck any chords with the Volturi or Draconi missions. I was baffled by the lack of crossover regardless of Fortnight's suggestions.

Emmett pulled up outside of Hotel Victor and I stepped out carefully. My shades were securely intact, my hands in my pockets and my head down as I followed him to the front desk. As we checked in, I secretly checked out our surroundings.

Exits, common entries, amenities, points of entry that might be overlooked by security, but not by someone looking to get to us.

It wasn't like we would be sleeping much or even spending much time here anyhow, but a smart agent always had a plan and an escape route.

I glanced to see Emmett speaking with the concierge in Spanish and saw him discretely slip him a few hundreds. You could buy information anywhere and Miami was especially that way.

The hottest new clubs, the best drug hook-ups, the hottest girls, a smart hotel concierge knew them all and knew how to make his guests happy.

This guy obviously knew the game, because Emmett was nodding along, as though he was confirming his information.

Soon he turned and grabbed our keys only to slap me on the shoulder and move toward the elevator. We didn't have much for bags, but no one who was anyone carried their own bags to their rooms.

Consequently, we were quiet in the elevator and simply nodded at each other as we entered our separate rooms. I quickly scanned my surroundings and once the bellhop left, I pulled out my own bug detector.

I surely wasn't the first undercover person to stay here and the underworld lived off of information it received from the most unassuming. Bell hops, hotel maids, cooks, they were often the downfall of many an operation.

Luckily my room turned up clean, and even for bed bugs and other traces once I used my black light as well.

A knock at my door pulled me from memories of the other times I had performed similar tasks. With the room cleared and only one person waiting for me, I checked the eyehole and then opened it.

Emmett walked in, changed and ready for a night on the town.

"You haven't changed yet, E?"

I shook my head and went to the restroom while Emmett pulled a bottle of bourbon out of the mini bar.

"No. Where are you thinking about heading?"

"The concierge gave me a few leads, but I have a couple of other ideas as well."

I nodded and mussed up my hair before applying the rest of my ensemble. I was probably safe to go without a full disguise, but I still put in blue contacts, gelled up my hair so that it had that Don Johnson, _Miami Vice_ look and then applied some aftershave. I left my scruff since it was enough of a change and then added some extra coloring to my face.

I was ready; though not entirely sure my mind and heart were ready for the venture.

"Well look at you. I hardly recognize you."

"That's kind of the point Emmett." I rolled my eyes.

"Whatever. Here. To a night like old times." He raised his glass and I clinked mine against his before tossing it down.

The bourbon burned like a bitch, but I needed a little liquid courage before entering back into this world.

"Let's do this." Emmett clapped.

We quickly grabbed our provisions and headed out. It was still early by Miami time, only ten at night. But the sun had set and the streets were alive with people. We left the vehicle and decided to walk to the first place the concierge mentioned, just off Ocean Drive.

The beat was already pumping and bass was thumping through my chest. I drew a deep breath as the dark hallways flashed with neon pinks and greens. It was like any other club in a high traffic place. Lots of music, lots of booze, lots of dark corners and back doorways that no one would notice.

I kept my aviators over my eyes until we slid into the booth in the VIP area and ordered a drink. We were one of the first tables there. My eyes scanned the rest of the room as the waitress brought our bottle to the table. I wasn't planning to drink much, merely sip.

And watch.

And wait.

And wait we did. The club was packed by 1 AM, but there wasn't much by way of leads. I didn't recognize anyone, and Emmett only recognized a few low level guys from a competing organization. I was agitated and unfocused, unused to being in the field again. Part of me was present and watching for clues and people, but the other part of me, the bigger part of me, was back in New York worrying about Bella and the kids. I knew they were fine with Charlie, but I couldn't shake the uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach.

 _How could I have ever thought I could leave them for a mission?_

We decided to cut our losses and head out for the night. We'd beat the path tomorrow and hit up a couple of his old contacts before trying a different joint.

As I slipped between my sheets at nearly 2 AM, I sent a text off to Bella telling her I loved her, Eric and Lucy and that I would call her in the morning.

Her answering reply, even in the middle of the night, set me at ease and I was able to fall into a dreamless sleep.

*&^%$#

Saturday morning dawned bright and beautiful and Emmett had the idea of hitting up one of the old neighborhoods he used to frequent. I again donned my disguise, complete with a black beanie and dark sunglasses.

The Escalade roared to life and Emmett turned the music to a Cuban station as we traveled from affluent South Beach into one of the less attractive areas of Miami.

Kids played in the streets, parents were few and far between and most importantly no one thought twice about the souped-up Escalade moving through their neighborhood. We pulled into a local café and stepped out. It wasn't my turf, so I followed Emmett's lead.

He put on his sunglasses and swaggered over to the café window. It was like an A&W with a walk up order window and seats outside. But the clientele wasn't your average Dick and Jane.

Emmett jovially pulled up to the stand and started speaking with the owner in Spanish, but with the Cuban twist.

I sat back and listened, smiled and nodded at the right places, while I was taking in the sights. I saw the twenty year old low level pushers across the street, the mid-twenties enforcer smoking a cigarette leaning against a car with a few more of his cronies and the few older couples who were having breakfast seemingly oblivious to the drug runners around them.

"Ricardo…down on Collins…knows Guillermo…si, si senor…"

The bits and pieces of Emmett's conversation floated to me and I watched as the guy smoking the cigarette put it out in the street and started walking toward us.

"John, we've got a ten on your two." I mumbled and then quickly disguised it by grabbing my own pack of smokes and lighting it quickly.

The man—kid really—strode up and eyed us.

He stared at me as he quickly fired off in Spanish to the owner.

" _Who are these men?"_

" _What do they want?"_

" _What have you told him?"_

Too bad he didn't realize we both spoke Spanish.

I inhaled my smoke and let it out nonchalantly.

"No estamos aquí para el problema. Cigarrillo?" _We're not here for trouble. Cigarette?_ I asked him

I raised an eyebrow at him and he stopped spouting off at the owner immediately. His eyes moved down my fitted tee, faded jeans and boots before looking back up at me.

"Why would I want your cigarette?" He asked in Spanish.

I shrugged and shuffled the pack, offering it to him anyway as I took another inhale.

He eyed it dubiously before finally snatching the free smoke from the pack and then pulling a lighter out of his back pocket and lighting it himself.

I watched closely as he flicked up the top and the flame moved. So closely in fact that I noticed the tattoos on his fingers.

J. A. G. U. A. R. S. 4. 1. 3.

Black ink scrolled in a demon-like script across his knuckles.

Then he flicked the lighter closed and I watched as the pad of his finger quickly rubbed over the emblem on the back.

A faded, outline of a black cat, a jaguar.

"Como te llamas, desperado?" He smirked and I chuckled as I turned down my smoke.

"No soy un bandido, pero estoy interesado en algún golpe? Saber encontrar alguno?" _Drugs. Where can I find them?_

 _We only had two days right? Might as well cut to the chase._

Peculiar eyes squinted at me in the light and he turned to the owner again. This time he asked him if he had seen a Ricardo, the same name I heard before, earlier in the morning.

The owner shook his head and put his hands up. Then he offered each of us a croqueta, silently pleading that we move this conversation somewhere else.

I quickly asked the druggy the best place in town for girls and blow. I also threw in that we might be interested in making some trades.

Buy some drugs. Do some deals. Lots of street slang for setting up some traffic.

Emmett continued to chat up the owner, keeping one ear on the suspicious man and me.

But I remained cool, easy nonchalant, like any other dealer looking for a new market and some fresh meat. I mentioned that we were from D.C., looking to set up some trade here to take north. Did he know anyone?

Yeah, he could hook us up with some people.

And then we got a name. Not Ricardo, not Guillermo—names that meant nothing to me.

Russo.

It struck a chord, because I knew I should know it from somewhere, but I couldn't place it. Obviously it wasn't a name I read in print otherwise I would remember it specifically. It was from my past and I was suspecting Brazil, but I wasn't sure.

With that, he snuffed out the second cigarette he took from me, still eyeing me suspiciously, and walked back to his car of cronies and left.

Emmett thanked the owner for the croquetas and café con leche that we were now drinking and we made our way to the Escalade.

 _Jackpot._

So simple, but such a big deal. In our short thirty minute conversation we got the name of a club, _Sepultura,_ and the name of a contact, Russo.

If we really wanted to infiltrate the drug ring we would then have to spend months going to this club and other haunts by the gang, hooking in with the low level guys and proving ourselves out on deals. But for one night we just wanted to see faces and learn names.

Then we could take it all back and run cross checks.

Just faces names for the time-being and that was fine by me.

As Emmett pulled away from the café he started driving North, away from South Beach. I nodded to him and we didn't say a word in the Escalade. I knew what he was doing: shaking any potential tail that might be on us and keeping silent less somebody slipped something on our car or our persons on the off chance we didn't notice it.

We would have both noticed, but you can't be too careful.

An hour and a half, forty-five miles and a bug check later we were sure the coast was clear and we hit up a café on South Beach, but not after driving past _Sepultura_ and checking out the place.

I finally drew a deep breath once we were back at the hotel. Yet, I felt strangely alive at the same time. I was amazed how calm and collected I remained during the encounter given that I was so out of practice.

Or maybe it just never left me. The thought was both sobering and frightening.

"What do you think?" Emmett asked me over a cup of coffee at an open air on Ocean Drive.

"I think we have a hit. Russo. I remember it from somewhere, but not specifically yet."

He nodded and sipped his coffee as he looked across the street. His voice dropped and he pretended to gaze off into the distance. But from my seat I could see his eyes shifting, back and forth, in the rear sight of his shades.

"The owner is Manuel. I knew him when I was here. He used to be a big time, but got out of the business years ago. But he doesn't want trouble in his neighborhood. The other head agreed to stay out, so just business deals go down there, that's why I knew it would be a good shot to go there."

"It gave us credence to know Manuel. Otherwise that punk would have never approached us." Emmett continued.

"So what do you think about tonight? Should we try to hit up _Sepultura_?"

"Yeah, we're going to need to watch our backs though. This might be a busy port for drugs, but because of that it's competitive."

I nodded. Danger and watching our backs was nothing new to our profession. Emmett and I soon parted ways and both retreated to our hotel rooms.

My head was swimming with the interactions of the morning and evening. More importantly something else was nagging at me, Russo and the pictures from the file.

Was that Russo? It _felt_ like it might have been.

Needing to process everything, I sat down to a task I rarely did. I mapped out all of the connections I could recall from my prior missions.

The Volturi takedown, Brazil, Romania and New York. I thought about every person I came across who had any relevance.

The more I looked at the page it seemed as though there was a connecting piece. I wasn't sure who or what yet, but I knew something pulled all three together.

I tapped my pencil against the paper and let my thoughts fester as I looked at the clock. It was nearly nine. Emmett and I needed to head out and I needed to call Bella now that the kids were in bed. I grabbed a quick bite of the room service I had ordered up hours ago and dialed her number.

"Apollo?"

"Mijn Zon, how are you?"

"Good. Dad and Mom are downstairs and I just put L—the baby down. The boy crashed at 8:00 because he ran around with his cousins all day." She laughed, a little stuttered at having to cover her tracks and I sighed, wishing I was there to see her radiant face and wishing she didn't have to do that.

"What are you doing?" She asked then.

"Getting ready to get in the shower." I sighed.

"Me too."

"Hmmm. I wish I was there with you getting ready to get in the shower, especially if it ended up the way it did last time."

She chuckled lowly on the other end of the line.

"What would you do to me Apollo?"

"Fuck." I swallowed, imagining her stripping out of her clothes as I heard the shower turn on. "Everything. I'd kiss every inch of your body before I made you scream my name. I'd use my hands, my tongue, my—"

A pounding at the door startled me and I realized I was laying on the bed half naked and hard as a rock.

"Shit."

"What is it?" She asked worriedly.

"The door," I groaned as I saw him standing in the hallway impatiently. "As much as I'd love to continue this Mijn Zon, I have to go."

"It's okay. Make it up to me when you get back." Her voice husky once again.

"Definitely." I sighed. "I love you. Kiss the kiddos for me. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Love you too. Be safe."

"Always am."

I sighed and shut off the phone before opening the door for Emmett.

"Jesus what took you so long? And you're not dressed again. What the hell have you been doing?"

"Nothing. Just give me five."

I jumped in the shower and scrubbed down as quickly as the night before. My second suit, a navy linen with a crisp white shirt, slipped on easily. With the same disguise as the night before I was ready.

Emmett and I stepped out to hit up a late dinner at one of the restaurants across the street from the club so we could people watch. The important people wouldn't go in the main door, but some of the socialites might. On limited time we couldn't pass up the chance to spec the place.

At nearly midnight we traversed Collins Ave, bypassing the long line by the red rope and headed straight for the bouncers. Blond bombshells, high as a kite and ready for a night out, offered the bouncers much more than cash in exchange for early entry.

But what I picked up on immediately in attempting the VIP line was that the bouncers wouldn't nudge for them. Not because their names weren't on the list, but because they probably didn't understand them.

They spoke Portuguese, which instantly struck a chord with me.

The two black haired, olive skinned, muscled men filled out their black suits and sunglasses easily. But they were working for someone and it wasn't necessarily the owner.

This was an international city, but Portguese wasn't used much outside of Portugal and Brazil.

I stepped up to the rope and tapped the man's shoulder at the same time I lit a cigarette and lowered my voice.

In Portuguese I told him I was a friend of Ricardo's who was looking for Russo. That I met a man at Manuel's shop that sent me here. He looked me up and down as I leveled him with my gaze.

No blinking. No looking away.

Finally he nodded and directed us to pass. Slithering through the pulsing crowd, we immediately found our seat in the VIP. I didn't see the guy from the morning, but they all looked just like they did everywhere: Kids, coked up on the goods they were dealing, flashing money they didn't really have and on their ways to imminent and too early deaths. It was all eerily similar.

A waitress dressed in next to nothing brought us a bottle of the Goose and an offer to take a look in the other room. Though we declined, we started in on the bottle and tried to stay in the shadows as much as possible.

I watched as the men moved around the room. More than one of them had JAGUAR tattooed on their knuckles with a number. I could only guess it was a gang name and an initiation date. It was like all the other clubs in the world like it: dark corners, men in the shadows with the women they paid for. Women too young to be considered women in many cases were trading favors for their lives, their children, their next hit.

Suddenly the door to the backroom opened and I leaned forward just enough to catch a sliver of red light and a gleam from a glass.

Her black hair flipped over her shoulder just as the door hit its widest point and I snapped back in my seat.

I could see her coy smile from thirty feet away and almost feel her cold hand on my shoulder as she pressed it on the shoulder of the man next to her.

Unfortunately I knew that feeling.

I knew that hair, that body, that gaze all too well and I knew I had to leave immediately.

"We gotta go." I growled at Emmett and he looked at me as if I was crazy, seeing my body tense and crouching in the darkness of our seat.

"We gotta go, _now_." I emphasized and finished my drink in a slam.

"Easy, we can't make a scene man. Let's finish the bottle, stay in the shadows and leave real quietly. What the fuck just happened?"

He poured me another and I swallowed and gritted my teeth, in disbelief at the person I just saw. I was willing my body to stay planted as my eyes danced across the room, over to the dance floor, frantic that someone might be watching us. "You ever hear of a woman, an influential one running the show down here."

"Hmmm. Not running it, but there was rumor about the bosses having a lady, a real blade runner that nobody was supposed to fuck with."

 _Fuck._

Blade runner.

A hot, tight, Miami woman of Hispanic descent who knew what she wanted and could turn a man into mush in a second.

Yeah, that pretty much summed _her_ up. Except she wasn't from Miami, she was from everywhere.

I drew a deep breath and quickly poured another drink. Emmett and I didn't say another word to each other as I sat there with my mind racing.

She was one of the missing pieces. It made perfect sense. The Portuguese, the connections to Brazil and Miami.

 _Zoraida._

And then I remembered something else. I couldn't believe I didn't think of it before. Her counterpart in Brazil was called the "red-haired" Italian and was known to have connections with Volturi. He was known as an evil and sadistic enforcer for the organization.

Russo meant red-haired in Italian.

I was positive she was the link. It all made so much sense.

Zoraida was the key to everything in Brazil; she was also the first person I ever made a mistake with. I slept with her, on more than one occasion. I knew it was wrong, but I in and I was getting information that no one else had.

Once we took down her provider and head man, Johan, we never found her again. Sure, she was on the inside. But other than snorting some coke herself, she didn't run the drugs nor was she a madam to the girls.

She also escaped into the night when we took down his organization.

Or so I thought. Maybe I'd had it all wrong in Brazil. For all these years I thought it was a successful mission. I got the takedown, I put away Johan and then I snuck out of town quietly. I altered my appearance yet again and never looked back.

But she was the one person who saw me the closest to what I really looked like, under the disguise, under the clothes and at the time under the suffering that I carried with me. She was the only other person besides my wife who knew anything about me. Nothing specific, except I lost a brother, I was on a path of vengeance and I was as smart as I was fast.

She was a temptress and I was pulled in by her wiles. Years after, I had come to realize what she was. She took advantage of me in a way a cougar might take advantage of a young man.

Emmett tapped my shoulder and proceeded to lead us out of the club as my mind spun with my realizations.

He gave the obligatory nod to the man we spoke to earlier and we snaked our way to the side door and finally out to the alley. Once we hit the pavement, I took off in a dead sprint with Emmett following after me, huffing and puffing all of the way. Not until we were over a half mile from the club and in the middle of a deserted beach, wind whipping around our faces could I finally take a breath.

"Fuck!" I yelled as Emmett bent over at his knees to catch his breath.

"What the fuck happened back there?" He wheezed as I paced through the sand.

"I should have known. I should have known she would fucking come back to haunt me. I should have realized that she had more power than I thought she had."

"Who the fuck are you talking about E?" Emmett finally stood up and grabbed my shoulder to stop my pacing.

I looked around to see if there was any possible chance someone was watching us, but the beach was deserted. It was past 1 AM and no one was around. My feet finally dug into the sand and I tugged at my gelled hair as I looked up at the moon.

Mistakes I had made, missions I had been on, lives I had taken all passed before me in the blink of an eye. I was a good man now, living the life I always wanted. I had an incredible wife, two beautiful children and was reunited with my family. I had retired from this kind of active service, and yet now with the sight of one person, I felt like all of my past was coming back at me with a screaming force and I was the only one that could right it.

"Her name's Zoraida. I think." I annunciated. Emmett finally quit heaving, since he wasn't in as good of shape as me, and nodded his head.

I told him everything about Brazil, my relationship with her and how I used her to infiltrate the organization. I suspected she either left with part of the Brazilian contingent and either resettled in Miami or she used her connections to get hooked in with a group that was already there. It didn't matter. She was the link.

To Russo, Russo to Volturi, Volturi to the Dracs and my grandfather, and then back to Johan.

So if they were all interwoven it meant that their organization was vaster and much more far-reaching that we could have possibly imagined. We had been shooting at goldfish in a pool surrounded by a sea full of sharks.

Or at least it seemed.

"So you're telling me this woman is in with all of them?"

"Maybe?" I chewed on my lip as I thought about it.

"How old is she?" Em asked as he mirrored my stance.

I shrugged. "I don't know. She's one of those women. She never ages. No one really knows how old she is."

He was silent for a moment until he broke the tension.

"Cougar huh. Or maybe even a Jaguar." He wiggled his eyebrows.

"That's not funny. I can't think that I was…" _sleeping with someone who was twenty years my senior! Christ, I think I'm going to hurl!_

"Besides, I think the Miami group that's in with Brazil is the Jaguars anyhow."

He nodded, seemingly lost in thought.

And then he laughed.

"Shut the fuck up McCarty."

"Seriously man, I can't believe you were with someone who might be as old as our parents."

"Ugh, shit man, don't say that." I tugged at my hair and shuddered.

He finally quit chuckling and sighed. "Dude, think of it this way: this was a huge break. Now that we know she's involved here we can cross-check her against everyone. Maybe Raven and Kebi have even had contact with her. Who knows? She might be the link to a lot more things."

I nodded, seemingly appeased for the time being. We both stood lost in thought for a moment until a cell phone ring ripped through the warm night air. I quickly looked around realizing no one was near us and it was coming from my own pocket.

"Fuck." I muttered as I glanced at the screen before I answered. "Yeah?"

"Are you secure?" Garrett was the only other person who had this number just in case something happened.

I looked around again to make sure the coast was clear before answering him. "Yeah, I am. What's going on?"

"You might need to sit down for this?"

"What the fuck's going on?" I asked nervously.

 _I just spoke with Bella a few hours ago. Something couldn't have happened so fast could it?_

"Is he there with you?" Garrett asked.

"Would you just spit it out G, what's going on?"

"Aro Volturi is going to be released from prison tomorrow. He'll be on a train to New York by morning."

Suddenly my heart, which had already been pounding in my chest, felt like it erupted into a million pieces.

While all of them snapped into place in my brain.

The man on the beach.

Runaway train.

Jailbreak.

Old dogs, new tricks.

Rookies are hard to train in.

The man on the beach.

 _So don't use a rookie, get the boss out and do it the old fashioned way._

 _Fuck!_

The man on the beach. Who the fuck was and how could he know that? And why was he telling me? How did he know to tell _me_?

"Are you…are you fucking kidding me?" I finally spat.

"What's going on?" Em asked from my side, but I just shook my head.

"You need to get back to New York. Now. I can't cover you any longer with this going on, and I suspect they're going to bring you in on this. Word is he's coming back to New York for his parole."

My mind was spinning. I wanted to puke. I wanted to run and jump in the ocean and swim as hard as I could until my arms screamed at me, my stomach ached from exertion and my brain was free.

Free of all these thoughts, all of the connections, all of my fuck-ups and once again free of the life-threatening revelations that seemed to meet me at every turn recently.

But I pushed it down, just long enough to respond to Garrett. "Yeah okay." I ended the call and closed my eyes as I shook my head.

"Volturi's out." I finally said and Emmett's eyes snapped to mine as I opened them.

"What the fuck?"

"Yeah."

Without another word we were off to our hotel and on our way back to New York City.

*&^%$#

"Baby! Liefje!" I practically ran into the house after Garrett dropped me off in front of our home.

"Charlie?" I called out, until I finally stopped at the dining room table.

Sue was sitting there with tears in her eyes, fingering the locket around her neck as she gently rocked in place.

My throat hurt as I walked up to her and touched her shoulder.

Sue jumped from the chair, seemingly never hearing my entrance.

"Sue what happened? Where is everyone?"

"Oh Edward, no, um…" she wiped her eyes and fanned her hand across her face quickly. "Everyone's fine. The boys are in the family room playing a game and Lucy's asleep. Bella and Charlie are at the shooting range."

"Shooting range?"

 _What the fuck was Bella doing at the shooting range?_

But before I could get an answer to that question, the door swept open and a harried Charlie ushered Bella in.

"Edward," She murmured and ran over to me, throwing her arms around my neck, "you're back."

"Liefje, I came home and you were gone, and Sue was crying, I…" I rambled and pulled her tightly against me, breathing in her scent. "You scared the shit out of me when you were gone." My hands fisted her shirt and I tried to calm down as I felt her sigh in relief.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I went with Dad to the…"

"The shooting range," I fumed internally, but swallowed. "Bella, I don't even want to know." I shook my head and she got a fire in her eyes briefly. "But we'll discuss that later. Have you heard?"

"Yeah." She gave me a 'we'll talk about this later' look and then stepped back. "Seth called Dad while we were at the range. He brought me right home after that."

I nodded and looked over to Charlie who was peering over Sue's shoulder.

"Charlie?"

He turned to look at me as he squeezed Sue's shoulder. It was then I remembered she was crying and I had never asked what happened.

"Sue?" Bella said, concerned and walked over to her.

"Bella, I think…" Sue sighed and closed her eyes. "I'm sorry for looking. I was curious. But now I'm somewhat glad I did." She shook her head and picked up what appeared to be a very old bound journal from the table."

"I think it's going to be very difficult for you and Charlie to read these."

Bella looked at her in question and I stepped over to peer at them.

The words jumped off the page at me instantly and I immediately knew that everything had changed.

Words in Italian that meant nothing, yet everything after the weekend I had.

A Spanierd who wasn't Spanish.

 _Il distruttore._

The destroyer.

 _La sua giaguari._

The Jaguars.

I looked up at Charlie as he looked at me in question. My mind turned in a million directions and the room started to follow it.

"Edward?"

"Edward?"

"It's…they're…" _Fuck._ I gasped and closed my eyes, the words stuttering from my breath, " _everything's_ connected."

 **XXXX**

Sepultura = "Grave" in Portuguese

'


	11. Chapter 10- The Advent

_**Chapter Ten: The Advent**_

" _ **The Pretender" by Foo Fighters**_

 **~Bella Cullen~**

" _December 4, 1948_

 _It's quiet tonight. The unusual warmth of the season makes me feel like I'm in Naples still. But I know I'm not. The coldness of this home reminds me of that. It's as cold as the man who inhabits it, just as hard, and I'm terrified for our upcoming wedding. Father said he comes from a good family, but I can't help but wonder just how my father could know them._

 _I don't trust Aro. He hasn't tried to touch me yet, outside of a few chaste kisses. But I fear for the day that I have to be a wife to him. I know what I am supposed to do, but I feel nothing for the man. I knew from the moment I saw him at the airport. He is not a good man. He does not consort with good men. Though a small part of me tries to listen to the words of my father, my gut tells me otherwise. I should get away from him while I still can._

 _We will marry on Christmas Day, and it's only a few weeks until then. But what will happen after that? I am expected to give him a child. I don't know if I can do that. I feel nothing for him. I am scared and restless and questioning everything I know. My father, my family, what have they done in the past? I can't help but wonder about my younger siblings. What will become of them as well. My sister Antonia, and my little brother Russo. He's just a baby, he can't be a part of this life I am so sure that Aro and my father are a part of…"_

Edward stopped speaking and took a deep breath.

I looked at him, contemplating why he had stopped. But I could tell by the look on his face that he wasn't even comprehending it all yet. Instead, I begged him on, again and again.

 _April 14, 1949_

 _It finally feels like Spring after the dark, dark winter. I've come to realize I'm no longer the 19 year old woman I used to be. I'm now expected to be Aro Volturi's wife, in every capacity. Whether I like it or not I have to meet his expectations, and it sickens me. I lay awake at night crying and then chastising myself for being so ridiculous. In between these bouts, I hear them, the men who meet with my husband late into the night. I don't know their names yet but I can't help but wonder how he knows them. They come from all different backgrounds and all seem to be just as evil as the he is…_

My grandmother's words rang in my ears as I thought about all the entries. When my father and I arrived home with Sue crying and Edward acting frantic in the living room, I knew something was wrong.

Then Edward said it was all connected and I had to make him backtrack. After his disapproving look at finding out we were at the shooting range and then hearing what Sue had started to read about in the diaries. I decided to put on a pot of coffee and we would start at the beginning.

Sue had read later entries—written in my grandmother's broken English—whereas the early ones were in Italian. They spoke of abuse, neglect and the horrendous men Aro consorted with. I couldn't think of that. I couldn't think about what my grandmother had been through, so I told Edward to start at the beginning.

He was the only one who could read Italian. My father and I could speak it to some extent, but we definitely weren't fluent and couldn't read it.

So we sent the kids to the den to watch a movie and made sure Lucy was sound asleep in her bassinet before we began.

Her words flowed from the page in a way that made my heart hurt and my stomach clench at her realizations. How she arrived in a new world, the offering into an arranged marriage. How she realized rather quickly that her soon-to-be-husband was not a good man, that he was a mobster, a gangster, the exact type of man her father always railed against in the confines of her home in Italy.

Yet then it dawned on her that the only way she would be in an arranged marriage with such a family as the Volturis was if her own family was mob as well.

And she began to question everything.

Did her mother really die of cancer?

Was her father a made man? Was he high in the organization in Italy?

Were her younger brothers already involved in it; or worse yet destined for it?

She was stuck. She couldn't go back; she wasn't fluent enough in English to make her own way.

She was trapped. My heart ached to think of my wonderful, sweet, strong grandmother in such a predicament.

"Liefje?" Edward pulled me from my ramblings and I looked up at him. "It's nearly six, we should probably eat something."

Though his words made sense, his face was blank and I could tell his mind was elsewhere.

"Why don't I make us something?" Sue stated. She put her hand on my father's arm and squeezed as they shared a silent conversation. "I think we'll just stay the night if that's okay."

I nodded eagerly; glad to have them here to help sort everything out and also wanting to have their input.

Sue walked into the kitchen to start some pasta and I sat back down at the dining room table.

"Keep going." I murmured.

Edward looked pensive, but finally nodded and continued.

" _December 8, 1950…"_

*&^%$#

I could hear his breathing as I stared at the ceiling. I could tell he was dreaming, maybe even having nightmares as his body tensed and shifted beside me. We stayed up until nearly three in the morning reading my grandmother's journals. Edward finally collapsed of exhaustion once we went to bed—a by product of two poor nights' rest, traveling, and reading material that was mentally and spiritually exhausting.

Words ran around my head at the speed of a freight train.

Gangster.

Aro.

Spanierd.

Evil.

Jan.

Trapped.

Forced. Kept. Watched… _Rape._

I couldn't sleep as one after another after another of the words and thoughts ran through my head. Edward had refused to read a few of the entries and would only give us a glossed over description. When my father walked outside and I saw Sue's eyes shine with tears I knew why instantly.

This wasn't about us, it wasn't about me, it was about the woman that we all knew. She was the best person one could ever meet and yet she survived…

All of that.

I couldn't comprehend it. Even with all Edward and I had been through, I couldn't comprehend it.

My tired eyes blinked and turned to glance at the alarm clock. 5:30 a.m. shone back at me and I knew Edward would be awake soon. Even though he got little sleep the last two nights, I knew he would still be up at 5:45 like normal. He would go down to the gym in our basement and work out his frustrations and then eat breakfast with me and the kids before heading off to work.

But he was distant. No matter how hard he tried to be present he was distant. Maybe it was the inevitable connections that he said he realized last night, or the ominous waiting before something happened. But he was distant.

He was still my Edward, but I could feel him holding back. And yet I couldn't blame him.

A cry sounded from the bassinet next to me and I quickly shot up to tend to Lucy. She was a dream as a baby, slept for over eight hours at night and I couldn't ask for more. But I knew she was hungry and I wanted to let Edward sleep.

I picked her up and held her tight as I walked to the nursery to sit in the rocker. As she latched on and I rubbed her head, I lost myself in my thoughts again.

I only had one more week until I went back to work. I only had one more week until I had to deal with the likes of J. Frederico and Lauren and all of the other BS. But I loved my job and I was getting a little crazy being inside the walls of our home, which felt more like a fortress of late.

"Hey." Edward whispered as he peered in at us. "She eating?" He asked as he sleepily rubbed his eyes.

"Yeah." I sighed as he walked over and kissed my head. "You okay?" I murmured.

He sighed and leaned down next to us. "I should be asking you that."

I nodded, knowing what he meant, but also knowing that he would take the weight of the world on his shoulders while the rest of us tried to simply process things.

"You seemed like a lot of things made sense to you last night. Can you tell me what that was about?" I finally asked after we sat in silence for a few minutes.

He looked down at Lucy and then back at me, unsure what he should say until I prompted him on.

"Edward. Please tell me."

He swallowed and walked over to lean against Lucy's soon to be used crib. "I recognized several names in the entries and…well…" he sighed, "they just had a lot of connections to my missions." He shrugged.

"Edward, tell me straight. I want to know and I can handle it." I said sternly.

Edward looked at me and contemplated what he was going to say, until he walked back over and sat on the floor next to us.

"Russo…your grandmother's youngest brother…" I nodded, remembering who he meant.

"I'm pretty sure he was an enforcer…err…basically an assassin for the man we took down in Brazil." He stated.

"So he worked for…what was his name?"

"Johan."

"So he worked for Johan and Johan was connected to Aro and Aro was connected to your grandfather, and they were connected to the Draconis."

"Yeah."

"Wow."

"Yeah."

"Brazil, Italy, Romania, the U.S….that's…pretty expansive." I said, knowing what that meant to him.

"Exactly." Edward lowered his head and rubbed his temples for a few minutes before looking up at me again. "Is she asleep?"

I looked down at our little dark haired beauty and smiled lightly and nodded. "Let me just put her back down."

I quickly changed Lucy and placed her in the crib she would soon be occupying nightly as she sighed in her sleep. She was so related to my brother, as she obviously had no interest in waking up yet—which was fine with me.

"Wanna shower?" Edward grabbed my hand and walked us back to the master suite.

"You're not going to work out?"

"I'll go over lunch." He shrugged, but I could tell something was weighing on him.

We walked into the bathroom and quickly stripped out of our nightwear, only some boy shorts and a tank top for me and some boxer briefs for Edward.

In the midst of everything happening, I had finally started to feel like myself again post baby. The first month was always a haze, then the second month you slowly gained your bearings. But now coming up on the end of the third month, I finally felt like I was getting my mind and my body back. I was able to run and work out the last few weeks and things were starting to tighten back up and make me feel better. I was close to being back to my pre-baby weight as well.

Edward told me all the time that I was beautiful, but he was so damn gorgeous that I felt a little like I needed to measure up to him.

"Mijn Zon, are you coming in?"

I looked up and nodded as I stepped in our shower, remembering our last tryst in there and a flush of heat swept through me. I wasn't sure how that was possible considering I hadn't slept yet. But then again, my husband could always do that to me.

"Here." He handed me my shampoo and I quickly lathered up and scrubbed through my hair.

He eyed me as I tipped my head back and let it rinse under the spray. Without a word, his eyes darkened and he stepped forward and wrapped his arms around me.

"I missed you." He nuzzled his nose into my neck and I welcomed his embrace. But warning signs started firing off in my head. He seemed almost…apologetic.

"What's wrong?" I asked as the water ran between us.

He sighed and squeezed me tighter as I buried my face in his chest.

"Edward?" I asked again.

"I have to tell you something…about someone." He sputtered.

I swallowed at his words, doubt creeping into my brain, but immediately dismissing it.

 _He would never…_

"Okay." I finally said. "What is it?"

He pulled back and put his hands on my face before telling me how much he loved me, and then I really got nervous.

"Edward…you're scaring me." I said nervously.

He finally sighed and pulled me close before he started. "Her name was Zoraida…"

His voice quivered a bit as he started to tell me about his mission in Brazil. He wanted more than anything to prove that he was good on a solo mission, that he could make it in the field, but he used a woman, Zoraida, to get in. He wasn't even sure if it was her real name but he now knew she was connected to everything. He told me how he slept with her, yet it didn't mean anything. He was vulnerable at the time, willing to risk everything, and he crossed a line that he never thought he would cross.

"She didn't mean anything to me, she doesn't mean anything to me Liefje, you have to know that."

I drew a deep breath, because even though I knew my husband was more than devoted to me, I couldn't help but be jealous of this woman from his past. Claire Whitney was one thing, but she was a waifey socialite, a dime a dozen in my book.

The way he described this woman: she was a mystery, sexy and intriguing and so different.

"Bella." He pulled me from my reverie and I looked up at him as I realized the water was cooling around us.

"Do you think you can go in late to work?" I asked as I turned off the water.

He swallowed and nodded to me. "Yeah."

We stepped out and Edward wrapped a towel around me as we walked back to our bedroom. It was just after six and I knew we had an hour until Eric woke and the rest of the house came to life. So I slipped under the covers and Edward pulled me close as I laid my head on his chest.

"You slept with her?" I said absently, though he had already told me that.

He paused and I could feel his heart pumping under my ear. "Yes." He whispered.

"Okay. I can't…I mean…I can't judge you. It's not like I've never been with anyone else before." I trailed off and turned to look at him. But his eyes were swimming with emotion and fear.

"Oh baby, I'm not mad."

Edward closed his eyes and then blinked down at me. "I know. I just feel…dirty or something. For so long I thought I broke that mission. For so long I thought I was the one to use her and get inside, terrible as that may seem. I rationalized it, thinking she was a…

"A slut." I offered.

"Uh, well yeah, because of whom she consorted with. I figured she was using me, so I would just use her right back and get information. But then when I saw her in Miami."

"Wait, you saw her in Miami." I asked, alarm bells going off in my head.

"Not like that," he soothed and ran his fingers down my face. "I just saw her for a split second and it freaked me out. I knew then that she was connected to all of this and that she used me. I felt…naive and exposed and…stupid."

"You are anything but." I quickly sat up and realized that Edward's insecurities about the situation weren't because he felt anything for this woman; it was because he felt like he was taken advantage of. That had to be a hard pill to swallow for him considering he was one of the FBI's most coveted assets.

"Baby, how old were you when you were on that mission?" Trying to make him see things for how they really were and ease his worries.

"Twenty-five."

"Twenty-five. And how long had it been since you had lost your brother?"

"About a year and half." He whispered.

"Do you really think that you were in the best mental state back then? You weren't even dealing with things when we met and that was over ten years later." I pointed out.

"I know, but I don't want you to think…" he trailed off.

"You don't want me to think what?" My eyes searched his face, challenging him to say it.

"I don't want you to think that I did that all the time. I don't want you to think that you weren't different, because you _were_ different. I don't want you to think that I don't love you, that there's anything else, that there will _ever_ be anyone else for me, because there's not. I love you more than I could ever say Liefje. I love our children more than I could ever say. You have to know that. You have to know that whatever came before was…it was _nothing_. It wasn't even a millionth of nothing. If that makes any sense…"

"Hey, hey, it's okay." I shushed him before he got worked up, because I knew what he meant. I couldn't lie and say that it didn't feel good to hear him say it, but I knew what he meant.

"I know Edward I know." I kissed him and crawled up his chest, framing his face with my hands. "I'm a little disconcerted by it. But it's not different than finding out about an ex-girlfriend of yours," I said, easing the tension a bit.

"Well…" he rolled his eyes, "there weren't many of those anyhow," he chuckled.

"I know. I'm sure it's not easy for you to hear about mine either." I raised an eyebrow at him and his eyes darkened in response.

In a matter of seconds, he flipped move over and hovered above me as his eyes seared into mine.

"I hate to think about that more than anything. In fact, I just pretend that it never happened," he murmured.

"That's exactly how I feel," I said, but drew a deep breath. "But I wouldn't mind if you showed me how you feel." I flexed, enticing him a bit.

"I'll always show you how I feel." Edward whispered as he bent down to take my lips. We moved slowly at first, but soon quickened our pace. The fire between us had never died, it was just hard to find the time anymore. Now it was stolen moments between feedings and diapers, quickies in the mornings and frantic sessions against the shower wall.

But it was still there, that need that was there in the beginning, that passion. Right then we needed that connection. We needed to reaffirm how we felt about one another after our discussion and with everything we found out the night before.

And for a moment I didn't have to think about my grandmother, my family or the danger lurking around us. I didn't have to think about being a mother or a daughter or a granddaughter and what that now meant.

I was just his; as I always had been.

And he was mine as well.

My tongue pressed against his lips as his hips shifted into me and my body warmed to the feeling.

"I love you more than I can say as well. You know that right?" I asked as I looked up at him between kisses.

He nodded as his lips met my neck, my chest and paraded their way down my stomach. Lower and lower he descended, soft mouth and tongue finally reaching where I wanted him. I moaned at the feeling of the all-encompassing electricity racing through me as he licked and sucked and pulled at my flesh.

"Edward…" I tossed my head back and gripped the sheets, all of my outside distractions falling away. I thrust my hips into his mouth, begging for more of his attention as his hands gripped my outer thighs and pulled me closer to him.

"Oh fuck…" I grunted as he added his fingers and hummed against me.

It was so intense, our connection. It always had been. Playing me like a fiddle, he had me soaring and soaring until I almost couldn't stand it. Yet somewhere in my mind I realized I didn't want to come this way. I wanted _him._

I tugged on his hair and gazed down with glazed eyes as he worked his way back up my chest. He thrust into me easily and I wrapped my legs around his hips, eagerly pulling him into me.

Our lips met again, tongues following insistently. Heat from Edward's body seeped into me as he pressed against me. I was lost as he whispered sweet and dirty words in my ear. How much he loved me, how much he wanted me, how he couldn't live without me and how good I felt wrapped around him.

The words and his hips moved faster and faster until I was spinning.

I lost it as his teeth took my earlobe and I shuddered violently, fingernails raking his back as he thrust deeper and deeper, pulling me up his thighs to reach that spot deep inside me.

"Liefje…fuck…liefje, liefje, liefje…" he mumbled.

"Edward," I gasped as I suddenly rose and crashed again when he turned just so, driving into me one last time.

We panted and clung to each other as we tried to catch our breaths. The quiet of the house settled around us in the early morning hours as I sighed and kissed his shoulder.

He leaned up onto one elbow and stared down at me for a moment before his lips tenderly met mine. Fingers raked through my hair like they often did, adoringly.

For an instant, I didn't have to think about what this all meant. The diaries, his mission, my great uncle being a part of Aro Volturi's connections and the ever expanding system that Edward uncovered. For one final moment, we could just be before our world as we knew it would be ripped to shreds.

*&^%$#

"That's a fucking joke, Garrett, and you know it." Edward growled into the phone as he readied himself in the bathroom. I knew they were talking about Volturi's parole, as he had spoken with Garrett nearly every day the past week.

I quickly slipped on my dress and earrings, taking a deep breath before looking in the mirror. It was my first day back at work after being off for three months. I was both scared and ready. I wanted to go back to my job. I needed to get out of the house for one thing.

Though I loved him dearly, Edward had been even more protective since he came back from Miami. He checked and checked our "command center" watched video of the neighborhood and razzed the local police officers and agents that were watching our home.

He was restless, I could tell. I knew he had been working with Emmett and Garrett the past week. When he blew the lid off the connections to Miami, he called Fortnight and Fortnight had the entire thing cleared to start a new investigation. Edward and Emmett were staying in New York, but some of the other agents in Miami were reassigned. Seth was already under on another, somewhat related, mission apparently, so he wasn't reassigned yet.

It all felt so much like the last time—the talking, the watching, the waiting, the secrets. Except this time Edward wasn't on the front line. And it was driving him crazy, I could tell.

"You look beautiful. Are you ready for your first day back, Liefje?" Edward suddenly interrupted my train of thought with a kiss on the cheek.

"I guess." I shrugged.

"You'll be great."

"I hope so."

"You will. Now go. I'll take care of the kids this morning. You just get on your way."

I sighed, not wanting to leave, but also not wanting to stay. It was definitely easier than the first time I left Eric. But I still shed a few tears as I climbed in our Range Rover and pulled out the driveway.

The drive to work was mercilessly short and quick, and I was anticipating my return more than I thought I would, especially given the way I left things. The guards greeted me with a smile as I entered and chatted with them. The office was quiet as it was still early, only 7:30 in the morning. Most people didn't get to work until 9 on the East Coast.

My entire body tensed as I unlocked my office and looked around. I wasn't sure if I was expecting something to be off or someone to jump out at me, but I released it in a rush as I glanced around, noticing everything in place.

Smiling and shaking my head at my stupidity, I walked over and sat at my desk. My hands glided over the desktop and I took a deep breath, just taking things in. Finally, I grabbed my laptop from my bag and set to work getting caught up on three months of emails.

After a few hours and a breakfast and coffee break later, my eyes felt like they were crossing as I had only reached mid-October in my responses. Sure I checked my email while I was gone and forwarded any of the urgent messages, but I still had plenty to respond to. Chiming in on potential new exhibitions, reviewing applicants for the following summer's interns, addressing staffing concerns, it all had to be attended to.

But I still needed a break.

A knock at the door pulled me from my latest response to a question regarding an exhibit.

"How's the first day back?" Jasper's blonde head popped in and I smiled and waved at him.

He sat across from me and I noticed that he had on another god-awful sweater vest.

"Jasper seriously, when are you going to stop wearing those?" I teased and rolled my eyes.

"It's warm; and I'm getting old enough now that I don't care."

"Whatever." I rolled my eyes. "How have things been around here? I haven't had a chance to talk to you much about work with everything going on." I said tentatively. I was still mindful of the last time I said too much in my office.

"Yeah, Edward told me about that. How do you feel about it?"

I shrugged. "There's not much to say. It's not like I'm going to have any sort of relationship with him. He's not my grandfather in any way. I don't care if I ever meet him."

Jasper looked surprised and raised an eyebrow. "Really? Not even a little bit?" He asked.

"No. I don't ever want to see him."

"Huh."

"What?"

"Nothing I just thought…well, I guess I would be curious is all."

I shook my head emphatically. "No." I cringed. "I don't have anything to say to him." Suddenly the anger I had toward him for what he had done to my sweet grandmother came rushing to the surface. I despised him. He was the devil incarnate as far as I was concerned, and I wanted my entire family as far away from him as possible.

"He's…" I swallowed and looked at the new pictures of the four of us on my desk, "he's a terrible man, Jasper." I looked back at him and held his gaze. "And I want nothing to do with him."

He nodded, seemingly leaving the subject alone based on my reaction. An unusual awkward silence crept over us until he stood up and changed the subject.

"Well, I just thought we could go to lunch like old times, celebrate your first day back."

"I brought my lunch, but I'll eat with you."

He nodded. "I'll see you later then." He walked to the door, opening it to leave. He paused for a moment and then sighed before turning back to look at me.

"It's good to have you back, Bella." He smiled and left.

The rest of my day passed quickly as I responded to nearly all of my emails, set up appointments with all of the department heads to follow up on interns and started to review the files of the new applicants.

Just as I was beginning to pack up my bag to leave, my telephone rang, startling me from my mental task list for the next day.

"Bella Cullen speaking."

"Mrs. Cullen. It's good to hear you're well."

"Um, may I ask who's calling please?"

"I'm sorry Mrs. Cullen, it's Manuel. I work with J. Frederico."

"Yes…" _what the fuck?_ "Manuel. What can I do for you?"

"Mr. Frederico would like the pleasure of meeting with you to discuss his offer to donate another exhibit to the museum. Would you be available for lunch this week?"

"I…" my mind raced at what I could say. I didn't want to go to lunch with him. I didn't want to be anywhere near him or this man.

"I'm sorry, but is there someone else you can speak with at the Met. It's my first day back and I don't think I'm quite up to speed to meet with him regarding such an offer."

"Mr. Frederico requested you specifically. I ensure you are more than qualified to meet with him."

I pondered what to do. I really couldn't say "no" since this was my job. But something was nagging at me, something telling me this wasn't on the level.

"Can I get back to you Manuel?"

"Of course."

I quickly jotted down his contact information and bid him a good day. Staring at my phone for a moment before returning it to the cradle, I couldn't understand what J. Frederico wanted with me. It was unsettling and strange to say the least.

On my short drive home, I thought about my first day back. For the first time, I started to question whether I should stay at my position. Perhaps I should try to get on at one of the art schools in New York or with a gallery or another museum. Because something in my gut was telling me that my job might again put me in danger.

*&^%$#

"Absolutely not."

"Edward," I sighed that night over dinner. "This is my job. This isn't some social call."

"I don't trust him." He said defiantly, his jade eyes on fire with his anger.

"Baby, I know you're worried about me. But I will insist that he come to my office to meet with me. I won't go anywhere and I certainly won't meet with him alone. I was thinking about asking Jasper to come with me."

Edward's fork clanged loudly against his plate and I jumped. Eric looked up and I could tell he was startled as well. I shot Edward a dirty look and we didn't speak another word of it during dinner.

In fact we didn't speak of it again for the rest of the week. I didn't respond to Manuel with an answer yet, but sent him an email the next day to let him know I would have an answer by the end of the week.

On Friday, I told Edward that I was planning to do it and he gritted his teeth and nodded before he left for the day. Something was up with him. He had been busy at work with routine things and hadn't been able to devote as much time as he wanted to investigate the Volturi connection, as the Bureau had termed it. Instead he was following up on wrongful searches, interrogation techniques and other problems that had arisen with the takedown of a different New York gang.

Consequently, when Friday night rolled around he was tense. We were supposed to go to dinner and have a date night. It was our first night out in a long time and Carlisle and Esme came over to watch the kids. I was excited but also tense due to Edward's mood.

When I saw him dressed in his gray Armani, black shirt and his now longer hair gelled back I was filled with anticipation again.

"Wow, baby, you look amazing." I smiled, hoping to put the week behind us and enjoy our night together.

His eyes roamed my body and I could see the glimmer of my husband come through as he traced my features.

"You look sensational. When did you get this?"

I shrugged. Alice had dropped by a great Zac Posen dress for me to wear. It was fitted but not too tight. Though I'd lost the weight I'd gained with having Lucy, things still weren't as firm as I would like them to be.

"Alice?" He smirked and I nodded as he grabbed my hand.

Edward kissed my cheek and we said a quick good-bye to his parents as we made our way to our Range Rover.

I wanted to take a cab, but Edward didn't want to let his guard down and he was sure he would have to work the next morning so he wasn't planning to drink much anyway.

The tension in the car was so thick; I could have cut it with a knife. I drew a deep breath as we pulled up to the valet at Nobu 57, a famous Japanese restaurant attended by the seen and to be seen.

The maître de escorted us to our private booth and we both ordered drinks.

I hated the tension. I hated the distance between us, because it wasn't us. But I knew I had to be the one to cross the threshold if I wanted to get rid of it. Edward was too caught up in his head.

"Edward, what's got you so stressed this week?"

He bristled and pursed his lips as he looked at me. The waitress set down our Ketel One martinis and gave us a few moments to look at the menu before leaving.

He turned back to me, his eyes swimming with emotion and I could almost feel the anxiety and pressure rolling off of him in waves.

I grabbed his hand and rubbed the back of it as I searched his face.

"I'm sorry, for overreacting about Frederico. I just…I don't trust him and with everything going on, I don't trust his motives."

"I don't either. But you do trust me right? I would never put myself in danger."

"I know." He sighed. "I know." He squeezed my hand and let out a breath.

"So what did you find out this week? We haven't' had a chance to talk much with me being back at work and you being so busy."

"I know." He glanced around before lowering his voice and then leaning into me.

"Garrett thinks that Volturi's kids have somehow hooked up with the Jaguars down in Miami and are now setting up some old ties back in Italy. He thinks they're in Italy and Russo is their connection."

"But why would they even need to go through Miami? Don't they already have those connections?" I inquired.

"Probably, but some of them might be being watched. Organizations will do this sometimes, break things down and build them back up in another area to protect themselves. New York, in fact the entire Northeast is covered as far as watching their ports. Miami is competitive but provides some cover because of it."

Edward slipped into his agent mode and filled me in on the benefits of running things through Miami versus another port. He explained that often times the black market organizations would burn out their contacts—or leave them for dead—only to see if someone was following them. Then they would connect back up with them in a few years. It showed how expansive and how many contacts many of them had that they could even do it. But it seemed that was going on here. He suspected that with Aro out of jail he was organizing things, but keeping a low profile. He thought his sons were in Europe, had maybe hooked up with part of the Draconi contingent, though he wasn't sure yet. And then there was the Miami/Brazil aspect which they were investigating.

"I just have one question." I finally said, all of this new information whirling around in my head. "How is Volturi getting information out of New York? If everyone is watching him, he has to be working with someone you don't suspect."

"Exactly." Edward's eyes glinted in what appeared like admiration. "You're good at this Liefje, you could be an analyst." He teased and squeezed my leg. I sighed, glad that he was finally letting out some of his stress and turning back into himself.

"That's what we're trying to figure out now. We're watching Volturi and once he makes one wrong move, we'll be on him."

"We?" I quirked an eyebrow.

"Well, the agents they have assigned to the mission. But those of us that worked on the prior missions have a lot of invaluable information, so we've been keeping up to date on everything."

I nodded, knowing what he meant.

Edward finally leaned back and blew out a breath. "Okay, no more shop talk. This is our night out." He smiled.

"To us." I raised my glass.

"To us." We clinked our glasses and Edward leaned in to give me a kiss and pull me closer.

The rest of our evening was spent enjoying the delicious food and catching up on our family and friends. We stayed as far away from any more shop talk as possible.

When we walked out to the valet at nearly eleven, Edward's hand was precariously low on my back and I was tipsy from my martinis and enjoying it thoroughly.

Edward wrapped his arms around me and held me tightly to keep me warm in the cold November air. I giggled as he whispered naughty nothings in my ear and grazed his hand over the side of my breast under our winter coats.

Just as the valet pulled up with our car, I felt Edward's body go rigid.

"What is it?" I asked, looking at his now stone-faced expression.

"Nothing. C'mon." His demeanor appeared cool and collected to anyone else, but to me, I knew something was wrong.

He hurriedly ushered me into the car and I strapped on my seat belt as he pulled into traffic. Edward was quiet, but I could see him glancing in the rearview mirror every so often as he made a turn.

"Fuck." He muttered and I felt him slam on the accelerator.

"Edward?" I reached my hand for the dashboard as I nearly slammed into it.

The car surged to the right and swept past three other vehicles before he abruptly took another right and stepped on the gas, going in the opposite direction of our home.

"Baby?" I asked again, now frightened as I saw his jaw tense and flex, his hands maneuvering the steering wheel.

I glanced in the mirror seeing a dark sedan mirror our movements and fly around the corner behind us.

Suddenly a crack sounded as loud as a thunderbolt and I screamed.

"Liejfe, get down!" Edward threw his arm across me as I sped up again and veered left, nearly tipping our SUV on it's side.

"Edward what was that?" I cried out, but knowing in the back of my head.

Another shot rang and I looked back to see the glass of our back window cracked but still intact.

 _How was that possible?_

 _Who was this?_

 _What was happening?_

Oh my God, our kids!

I fought the urge to throw up as the car lurched back and forth again as Edward tried to out run them. My mind raced, but I tried to calm myself. I had to do something. I couldn't just sit there.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm trying to lose them. I can't go toward home."

"What can I do? Should I call 911?" I fumbled in my purse for my phone. But then it flew out of my hands as we took another corner, our tires screeching and my shoulder ramming into the door.

"We don't have time for that!" Edward shouted. "Stay down!"

He pressed on my back again and I clutched my chest as we sped through traffic.

All of a sudden, I could see lights coming toward us and I screamed.

"Hold on, Liefje!"

 **XXXX**


	12. Chapter 11- Wrenched

_**Chapter Eleven: Wrenched**_

" _ **In the End" by Linkin Park**_

 _ **~Agent Cullen~**_

In the blink of an eye, I could see it all being wrenched away from me. Time and again I was at this place. Yet in the end, it didn't even matter. A wonderful dinner with my wife, a promising night ahead, and then this happened.

As I glanced in the rearview mirror and saw the man lean out of his window to fire his semi-automatic again, I knew they wouldn't give in. I only had one choice. It was us or them. But I would take the brunt of it; that was for sure.

My pulse raced as I gripped the wheel, tearing down 5th Avenue at an incomprehensible speed and weaving my way around traffic. I felt another one hit the window and heard Bella scream.

And that's when I saw it, a Brinks truck across the other lane of traffic. I knew it could withstand the impact.

"Hold on, Liefje!"

I threw my arm across Bella again as I whipped the car into oncoming traffic, headlights flashing across my face and the car spinning like a carny ride.

I heard the impact before I felt it, the airbags detonating and slamming into my face. The Ranger Rover skidded to a stop on the sidewalk only catching the corner of the truck and a light pole. Then I heard the other much louder crash.

Without another thought, I pushed the airbag away, first looking to see if Bella was okay and then jumped out of the vehicle.

The fuckers weren't getting away with this. That was for sure.

I ran to the now mangled Lexus that was smashed up against the front of the Brinks truck. One limp body lay halfway out the passenger side, his body contorted sickeningly. I had seen enough dead bodies in my time to know he perished on impact.

Screaming broke out around me, but I couldn't hear anything. I couldn't see or feel anything except the blood pulsing through my veins. I yanked the driver from the car, his gun clanging to the pavement, and threw his limp body across the hood.

"Who the fuck are you?" I slammed his head against the hood, seeing the dizzied but wry smile cross his face. He was as good as dead. Even if the effects of the crash didn't kill him, I would.

"Answer me!" I slammed him again and he groaned.

"Fuck you, foda-se você prick!"

"Fuck me, huh? Fuck me!" I seethed. "Who sent you?" I grabbed his hair and pulled his skin back, stretching the already gashed skin away and he howled in pain.

"Você deve saber, Agent Cullen." I stiffened, realizing what he was saying.

He was speaking in Portuguese. Was he in Miami? Was he one of the Jaguars? Were they on to us? Or was he sent by Volturi?

I grabbed him around the throat and ripped his shirt open, putting pressure on his chest.

"Was it Volturi?" I yelled.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" He snarled.

"I will end you. I will fucking end whoever it is you work for. Do you hear me?" I spat as I leaned down right into his face.

"You won't have time to." He smirked and then his eyes started to roll back in his head.

"What are you talking about?" I screamed, wrenching him forward and shaking him to get him to come to. "What the fuck are you talking about? Who do you work for?"

I shook him and shook him, until I felt a small pair of hands on my shoulders, pulling me back.

My body coiled and then released. The man slumped back across the hood of the car. Surely his internal injuries did him in and not what I did, not that it mattered.

"Edward." Bella murmurmed as I tried to catch my breath. My entire body was heaving with anger and adrenaline and I started to shake all over. I could feel the terror and dread racing through my vain.

"Edward." Bella said louder and I looked up at her wide eyes and tear-stained face.

"Are you okay Liefje?" I immediately wrapped my arms around her and pulled her against me. She _looked_ okay, but that wasn't always the case.

"I'm okay, I'm okay." She mumbled into my chest. "Are you?" Her concerned eyes traveled to my forehead at the same time her fingers met the gash there. I winced as she pressed against it and nodded.

"I'm fine." I sighed and pulled her tighter to me.

Fine.

That wasn't even close to how I felt. I wanted to rip something to shreds, or run a marathon, or do anything to not feel so fucking tense. But I knew I had to get us out of harms way first.

The next moments were a barage of police officers and ambulances. I quickly escorted Bella to an unmarked car that I knew was FBI and showed them my badge. I had started carrying it with me more recently, subconciously aware that something like this could happen.

As Bella settled in the bulletproof car my eyes traveled to our now beat up Range Rover. I thanked God I reinforced it when we bought it. My eyes then scanned the crowd gathered around the scene. I knew no one else would try anything, but surely there was someone here watching to see how we were doing, to report back to whoever ordered this hit.

My fingers flexed and tensed, wishing I had my Glock on me so I could just interrogate the fucker myself once I saw him.

A shrill ring tore me from my thoughts and I quickly grabbed my cell phone.

"Edward?"

"Garrett."

"I heard. How are you?"

"We're just getting ready to head in to give our statements after they finish checking us over." I turned and looked at the car where the emergency person was speaking with Bella.

"Do you know anything G?" I continued.

"Not yet. But the agents who came sent me the descriptions along with anything on their persons, which was very little. But I'll let you know as soon as I have something."

"What the fuck's going on here G, seriously? We have to be on to something right? I'm not crazy. Miami stirred up a shitstorm or we got too close. Something. Something's up here."

"I agree Edward. But you need to sit tight and get Bella home tonight. I'll get you whatever I have."

I sighed. "Fine."

Fine. What a shitty fucking word that is.

"E, just listen to me. We'll get this figured out. But you going all vigilante isn't going to help anything. You know that. You've been in the field. You need to be patient. They've already come after you. Now they're going to draw back because they're worried about exposure and then they'll come again. And we'll be ready."

"We better fucking be ready, because this isn't just me. This is my family we're talking about Garrett." I spewed.

"I know, E. I know. Just don't go getting any ideas."

"Yeah." I clicked off the line and walked to the car where Bella was waiting. For someone who didn't live around this type of thing, she was holding up exceptionally well. But then again, ever since she met me, she had been exposed to this.

I glanced again at the mangled scene and noticed a red-headed reporter talking to one of the police officers. She looked up just then and caught my eye.

I recognized her as the woman who spoke to me shortly after the Fourth of July, the one who asked about Volturi and used to be Bella's assistant. I instantly knew something was fishy. There were too many people too close to this thing that were suspicious or had more information than they seemingly should have.

Startling realization settled in my stomach. As much as I didn't want to, as much as I promised I wouldn't do it, I had to fix this. I was the only one who could.

*&^%$#

" _You are the only person who can do this." He stated under his breath. "Don't be afraid of yourself and your skills. You have the power to take down a major international player."_

 _I shot him dubious look. I may have the ability, yes, but the access was a problem. Besides, I was an assassin, I wasn't used to leaving my targets alive. They wanted this one delivered on a silver platter._

" _Do you think he's really beyond South America. This seems pretty local to me." Which was why I continued to question why exactly I was on this mission._

 _Eleazar's eyes hardened and he lifted his glass._

" _I know he does."_

" _How?"_

" _Just trust me."_

" _Hey, if you're going to finance this thing that's fine. But I don't want to waste your or the Bureau's time."_

" _I just know okay?" He quirked an eyebrow at me. "But be careful of his connections."_

" _What do you mean?"_

" _His son, his lady. You don't want to fuck with that."_

 _Little did he know._

" _I'm serious. You get in and I'll take care of everything else."_

" _And how are you going to do that?"_

" _Just trust me." He tossed back the rest of his drink. "But don't get in too deep. Just bring him in and everything else will fall into place."_

My eyes shot open as I recalled my dream, so similar to my thoughts earlier in the night. I could hear Bella's even breath next to me and see the darkness around me. It must have been only the middle of the night. But I had awoken more than once due to my dreams and memories of prior missions.

The most recent one intrigued me. It was a memory of a conversation I had with Eleazar. He nearly bankrolled our entire Brazil mission, or at least funneled cash for the FBI. But for some reason he had a personal stake in the mission. I never questioned it at the time, but now I wondered if there was something more to it.

I sat up and rubbed my hands down my face as I thought about my dream. I knew I wasn't going to get back to sleep any time soon. The kids were in their rooms as well and my parents were in the guest room. I made sure everyone was in our home once we were back. Our house was chaos once we returned, Emmett and Garret and a number of other FBI members. Discussions turned into late night planning for witness protection, options for staying, options for going, until everyone had enough and we decided to just add extra security and stay put for a few weeks.

Bella was planning to work from home as much as she could and possibly take another leave of absence, even though she had just returned to work. My parents recommended the option of having Bella and the kids come stay with them in the Hamptons, but I didn't want them apart from me. The entire thing was a mess. Did we need to provide protection for my family, Bella's family? I wasn't sure, but we did it anyway.

Bella was asleep, so I rolled out of bed and grabbed a pair of sleep pants before climbing up to the attic. The DNA scan quickly took my sample and the door opened with a thud a minute later. Blinking screens lit up the room showing camera views from around our home and up and down the street. I decided to look back through some footage from the last couple of days, to see if anything was suspicious or out of the ordinary.

As I flicked through the camera footage, I couldn't help but think about the impact of the night's events. Obviously someone wanted me dead. I knew I was the target, and my family was only a way to get to me.

The footage flashed across the screens, nothing in particular popping out at me.

Random cars.

Neighbors walking their dogs.

Taxis at non-descript times, dropping off drunken housewives or overworked bankers.

A man going out for a smoke.

The-

Wait.

My eyes scanned back through footage from 11:01 P.M. The man smoking the cigarette looked out of place. Everyone in our neighborhood went on their back porches or patios to smoke. No one smoked on their front stoop in multimillion dollar townhomes on the Upper East Side.

I quickly went back through the footage from the previous week, and he was there. Every night at the same time. Yet he was standing in a spot that was furthest from one of the cameras on the corner of our home and one of the city cameras. But he could still see our home clearly, while keeping his face in the shadows. I knew he wasn't one of ours. The unmarked cars were easy to spot when they went by. I immediately dismissed the possibility of it being one of my friends from the Bureau.

So who was he?

"Babe?"

My eyes shot up as I looked to the doorway. Bella was standing there, sleep rumpled and yawning in one of my shirts.

"Hey." I murmured.

"What are you doing?"

"Just looking for...clues...anything."

"Find anything?" She asked as she walked toward me and settled in my lap.

"Maybe. Look at this." I quickly showed her the footage and she was suspicious as well.

"What could he be looking for at that time of night? It's not like we're usually up then, or if we are, we're in our room?" Bella questioned.

"I don't know. But tomorrow night I'm going to find out."

Bella sucked in a breath and I knew what she was thinking. We were silent for a moment as we stared at the screen. My fingers moved up and down her back. I couldn't decide how to feel about the night. I was numb in a lot of ways. We had been worried when we left the scene and hurried home to my parents and Eric and Lucy. The FBI had transported them to our house and we currently had a 24 hour watch out front.

But it was like I removed myself from the situation. Rather than panicking and thinking about the possibility of losing my family—which I simply couldn't face. Instead, I was detached, calculating the ways I would get back at them.

Whoever "them" was.

I could feel myself slipping into a frame of mind the "old me" had. I was becoming "him" again. Yet this time it didn't bother me. Somewhere in the midst of turning our car into the path of a Brinks truck and slamming that fucker's head against the car door, I welcomed it back.

I didn't care what it took. I was going to find whoever was at the bottom of this.

"Come back to bed, Edward." Bella brushed her hands through my hair with a sigh and kissed my temple.

I nodded as I shut down the screens I had open.

Tomorrow night I would be out there. Watching and waiting.

For the night I would return to my wife and my bed and try to let sleep claim me. Although I knew it never would.

*&^%$#

"Agent Cullen?" I answered through a mouthful of eggs. My mother and father glanced at me as I walked out of the kitchen.

"Uh...Cullen. It's Biers."

"Biers." I paused as I glanced back. Bella was busy with the kids, but looked up then as well. "Can I help you with something?"

"Well...yeah...look, it's just. I heard about you and your family."

The door to the study swung shut behind me as I settled in against my desk. "Yeah."

"Well, yeah, I was just wondering if there's anything I can do?"

I bristled, unsure of his angle. He was an agent, so I knew I should trust him. Problem was, I didn't really trust anyone outside of my very tight circle anymore.

My delay must have been longer than I thought, becuase I heard him take a deep breath over the phone. "Look, I know you have no reason to trust me. But I've got nothing but this job and you're one of the only people to ever give me the time of day except..."

"Captain Swan." I interjected and I heard him gasp.

"Yeah. How did you?"

"I do my research Biers. It's a good rule of thumb." I paused, "but I'll tell you what. I could use your help with something tonight. And if Charlie trusts you, well, then so do I."

I quickly mentioned my plan to confront the man who was stalking our building. Biers was going to be a decoy. I was planning to leave early in the evening under the guise of going for food. Then I was going to lose any potential tail I might have, meet up with Biers and switch outfits. I would then slip out the back later and confront the man.

After Biers and I said good-bye, I made antoerh phone call that I had been considering all morning.

"Senor! What a pleasant surprise?"

I chuckled wryly because he more than likely knew I would be calling.

"You can't tell me you haven't heard, Eleazar?"

He hummed and I could almost hear his mind working. "Yes, and if I know you, you've already planned out the demise of every person involved including their dogs, their cats and their second cousins. Am I right?"

I chuckled again, because he wasn't far off the mark. "Of course not, that's extreme, only first cousins Eleazar."

"Ah, yes...so what do you need Edward."

"We need to talk...about Brazil."

Silence met me from the other end of the phone.

"Everything I know should be in your briefing papers."

"I think you know what I'm getting at Eleazar..." I pressed. Whatever his connection was with that mission, he wouldn't let me in on it. He never had.

"I don't think that's a good idea. "

"Eleazar..." I sighed, not usually one to plead. "This isn't just some mission this time. This is about my family. They're...they're everything to me. And if I can't figure this out..."

He sighed, something I was saying was getting through to him. "I'll have to come to you. And it will have to be in secret. We can't appear to be any more than social acquaintances. It's not unusual, given our social histories. But it can't appear to be any more than that."

"That's fine. We can use FBI channels."

"Good. I'll get back to you."

The call ended and I stared at the screen. Usually Eleazar was very lighthearted, but something about the end of our conversation was strange. He closed off, and fast.

"Everything okay?" Bella's voice cut through my thoughts and I looked up. Lucy was on her hip, a gurgly smile on her face and I held out my hands.

"Come here baby girl." I pulled her into my chest and kissed her furry head.

Everything wasn't all right. I wasn't sure if it would be again.

I had to make it be.

"Yeah." I finally said, pulling Bella over to me as well. She leaned into my side as Lucy looked up at me with her dark eyes and rosebud lips like her mother's. "Or at least it's going to be."

*&^%$#

"I'm on your ten o'clock." Emmett garbled in my ear. He knew I couldn't respond verbally, but I tapped my leg to let him know I could hear him.

My breath swept out and back as I half ran down the alley across the street from our house. Biers was already in our home, likely drinking coffee with my wife and my parents.

But I was on the hunt. I wanted to confront whoever was watching our home, watching us.

I rounded the corner a block from home and stayed in the shadows. No one else was on the street, but I could see one lone flicker from the butt of a cigarette.

My pace slowed as Emmett's voice steadied in my ear.

"Easy does it. I'm in the alley across from him now. He doesn't see you or sense you. Take it slow."

I tapped my leg again and eased up more as I approached. Quick and quiet. Two words I took to heart long ago in my training.

When I was ten feet away I saw him stiffen and I made my move. He was fast, but I was faster as I spun him around down the alley and threw his back against the wall. He tried to fight but I had his airway pressed and my glock digging into his ribs.

Grunts and scuffles sounded throughout the alley until he stilled.

And I met his eyes.

Then I stiffened myself.

 _The man from the beach._

"Who the fuck are you?"

He gave me a smirk and I tightened my hold on his neck. He choked and glared at me until I loosened my grip again. He of course couldn't talk if I kept my grip on him.

"Agent Cullen, so nice to see you again."

"How do you know me and why are you watching my family?"

"Let's just say I have a vested interest in you and your family."

I shoved him against the wall harder and he groaned.

"Do you always have to be such a brute. I'm not here to hurt you."

"The fuck you aren't. Why are you watching us?"

He thought about it for a moment until he sighed against me.

"I'm just making sure the only true remaining family of an old friend is kept safe."

The only true remaining family.

Aro.

He had to work for Aro.

I squeezed his shirt and lowered my voice again.

"What does he want with us? I told him to stay away from us. And I swear to God if he doesn't..."

"Perhaps his motives aren't what you think."

"Oh I know exactly what his motives are. He wants control. He wants back in the game, and at anyone's cost. Well it's not going to be my family. You can tell him that." I snapped.

"I don't have to tell him anything."

I stilled and my eyes burned into his.

What was his angle? Aro? What did he want with us? Why did he send this man, the same one who tipped me off that he would be getting out of prison? I had no idea what it all meant, but I was going to get to the bottom of it.

If I had to go to the king himself, I would.

"Fine. Don't tell him. Just tell me this. Where is he?"

"What?" He looked perplexed. But I was sick of his attitude and I was sick of his thinking.

I pulled my glock up and pressed it against his temple.

"I said, where is he? And don't think that I can't find out from someone other than you, or that this will affect me in any way. I can take you out and make it something of self-defense. Sweep it under the rug. But you can save us all a lot of time if you just tell me where he is right fucking now."

He swallowed, considering what I said for a moment, before he nodded infantismally.

"The Park Central."

The Park Central wasn't far from my home, it wasn't far at all.

Without another word I dropped my gun from him and took off out of the alley.

"Cullen where the fuck are you going? You can't just turn your back on him!" Emmett growled in my ear.

"He's fine, he's not going to get me." I huffed as I broke out into a run and hailed a cab on Madison.

"Fuck." I heard Emmett until I shut the door and we were no longer in range.

"The Park Central." I shouted at the cabbie.

We were only about a mile and a half away so we were there in a heartbeat.

I jumped out of the cab and threw a $20 at him.

Thoughts that this was stupid, or reckless didn't cross my mind.

No, I was getting to the bottom of this.

I marched into the hotel, right to the front desk personnel.

"What room is Volturi staying in?" I demanded.

"I'm sorry Sir, who?" The startled woman looked at me fearfully.

"I said, where is that slimeball, you know the biggest gangster of 21st Century, staying?"

"Um, I can't give you that information Sir. I..."

"What the fuck ever." I stormed away from the now handful of employees who were trying to stop me. I pressed the buttons on the elevator at the bottom of the grand staircase and a security guard stepped beside me.

"Sir, do you have a room key?"

"I won't be staying long enough to need a room key," I said lowly.

"Sir, I'm sorry, but I can't let you in here without a room key."

I turned and gave him a steely glare. "You want to see my room key?" I pulled out my Glock and my badge. "Here's my room key. How about you back the fuck off."

Just as the elevator dinged, I heard a commotion at the top of the grand marble staircase. I wouldn't have thought anything of it, except I heard _his_ voice as one of the speakers.

Without another thought, I tore up the staircase. Self-preservation, tactical position, none of it mattered to me at the moment except coming face to face with Aro Volturi.

"I told you to stay away from my family." My voice boomed as I reached the top of the stairs.

He turned, looking over his shoulder as I raged, my hands clenching at my sides and his armed men watching me and twitching as well.

"Excuse me."

"You think you're above the law?" I seethed, inching forward. "You're nothing but scum. Just like my grandfather and the Dons before you. You hide behind your fancy hotels and your thugs and you're nothing but a thug yourself. A thug who came after the wrong fucking person this time."

"Agent Cullen." Aro turned to look at his men, requesting they stand down, though they still moved like a cloud along side him as he stepped forward. "It seems you're mistaken. I haven't done anything to you or your family. Why would I?"

I bristled, unsure what he meant. Was he taunting me? Surely he couldn't think that Bella or her father would want any sort of relationship with him. And he wasn't coming anywhere near Eric or Lucy. Over my dead body.

"I don't care what your motives are. I don't even care if you think you are entitled to something from me or my family. But you will do this. You will stay away from Bella and my children or so help me God I will end you."

"Edward!" I heard scrambling and voices at the bottom of the stairs as I stared into Volturi's black eyes. His men shifted beside him, ready to pounce. But we both just held our gazes.

Suddenly Emmett was between us and I was being pulled back by him and Garrett, while a few other agents came in as well.

Yet my eyes stayed locked on his.

"Maybe some things aren't always what they appear to be Agent Cullen." Volturi smirked at me and brushed off his Italian suit.

"Well I know a snake when I see one, and as far as I'm concerned, things are exactly what they seem here."

"Edward." Emmett warned in my ear, gripping my shirt harder.

"We'll see." Volturi snickered and turned to leave. I made a halfhearted attempt to follow and was immediately pulled back.

"What the fuck were you thinking? I've been covering your ass for weeks, getting you approval for secret ops and you go and do something like that to blow it all out of the water!" Garrett spat in my face and my jaw twitched in anger.

"You don't know what he's capable of." I countered.

"I know exactly what he's capable of, what they're all capable of! I was there too remember. I've been undercover just as long as you Cullen and you better start acting like the agent you are, not some bullshit renegade Eliot Ness."

He stepped back and glared at me as I shifted on my feet.

Yes it was stupid to take off like that. Yes it was not becoming of an agent. But I didn't give a fuck anymore. The FBI may have gotten me so far, but I was nothing without my family. Nothing else mattered if I lost them.

"Let's get out of here." Emmett finally said, relieving some of the tension.

The unmarkeds met us at the entrance and I gave one final glance over my shoulder at Volturi's temporary palace. I was pissed as hell that he was out; I was even more pissed that he was living a life of luxury as though he never spent years in Levenworth. He was like fucking Capone, living in his high tower while people died senselessly in the streets.

The car squealed to a stop in front of our home and Garrett, Emmett and I quickly got out to go in while the other agents remained outside standing guard. I did learn in my haze of anger, that the informant I roughed up, Volturi's man, was taken to FBI headquarters for interrogation. Normally I wanted to do it myself but I needed to cool down and I would have my shot at him the next day as well. He would be detained for 48 hours minimum, even if it was just for loitering.

I followed the voices of my family to the kitchen and found my father, mother, Bella and Agent Biers around the breakfast bar. They were laughing about something, apparently something quite funny because Bella was wiping at her eyes.

"Everything must be fine here." My voice came out more clipped than I intended, but I didn't care. No one grasped the seriousness of the situation apparently.

"Edward." My mother admonished, but I turned for the study, motioning for Garrett and Emmett to follow me. I heard their hushed voices behind me but I didn't care

The door banged shut behind us and I slumped over my desk before slamming my fists against the top of it.

"Something is off here. I know Volturi is a part of this, but he wants me to think he's not. Why is that?"

"Diversionary tactic. Maybe he's setting up whoever is going to run the show or be the front man." Emmett offered.

"I'm not so sure." Garrett interrupted. "Edward, you know when you asked me to have the analysts go back and look at the accounts of CI and determine if their were any odd investors. We did. And we found a few of significant importance. They were cleared during the initial investigation because they all lost money—a lot of money. But what if they're losses weren't truly losses. What if they were payments?"

"For what? Hits?"

"Sure or other things." Garrett pulled out a file folder that he had in the towncar and set it on the desk. I think you'll find two of those names particularly interesting."

I glanced at the papers and swallowed as the names appeared before me.

"I'll be damned. I never would have guessed. Her father always seemed to be an upstanding businessman."

Rolf Whitney, Claire Whitney's father was the first to jump out at me. But then there was Bernard Mallory. My eyes continued to scan from bottom to top in question.

"How could this have been missed the first time?" I asked, still mulling over the potentials.

"There was no reason to cross check these. You know that. Unless a name that was a known suspect of the FBI came up, we would never cross reference these names." Garrett sighed.

"It looks like I need to make some housecalls."

"Do you think that's a good idea?" Emmett said. "I'm not so sure you should be the one to contact them, it might raise suspicions, and if they did know something, they could inform whoever is still working on their behalf."

I thought about it a bit before I shook my head "no." "It's got to be me, I'm the only one that has the most information here and I can read them. I've known these people for years."

"You'll have to disguise it as something else. Paying off bad debts for your grandfather or something." Garrett hummed.

I thought for a moment, still questioning one thing. "So you ran this cross check, yet you don't think Aro is back in the game now. Why?"

"I think someone else is running the show. I think these records reflect money that was paid to CI in the form of 'investments' and was then funneled and paid out to Volturi for whatever black market request back in the day. But we no longer have the CI-Volturi connection. And honestly, we've been tailing Volturi since he left prison and nothing indicates he's back in the game or even stayed in the game while he was in. I think he's done. I think he's passed it on to his boys or to someone else. I'm just not sure who. And now you might have fucked it all up by showing him just how closely we're following him." Garrett finished pointedly and I nodded my head.

I still didn't give a fuck. It felt good to confront Volturi.

"So whoever the new contact is, you think they might be hooked up with Miami and possibly Brazil."

"Maybe. But there are other organizations, you know that."

I nodded, mulling it all over when a thought occurred to me.

"Fuck." I muttered and quickly walked to the door. "Bella!" I yelled and began pacing in the hallway.

Bella rushed from the kitchen a look of both fear and anger on her face.

"Keep your voice down. The kids are asleep." She scolded.

I pulled her into the room and shut the door to resume my pacing. She looked at Garrett and Emmett, then me before crossing her arms and leaning against the door.

"Bella, do you know what the J, in J. Frederico's name stands for?"

She began to shake her head and we all sighed at the movement. But then she stiffened and put her hand to her head.

"What is it Liefje?" I walked over and placed my hand on her shoulder, turning her to look at me.

"My last conversation with Manuel. When I told him I wouldn't be meeting with Mr. Frederico, because I wasn't interested. He said the strangest thing to me."

"What was it?"

"He said, 'his gracious appreciates your time'. And I thought it odd to refer to someone as 'his gracious' as though he were a king or something. But maybe there's more to it." Bella surmised.

All three of us were quickly pulling out our phones and searching.

"Fuck."

"Christ."

"Shit."

"What?" Bella asked, glancing between us.

"God is gracious. Do you know what name means that?"

"What? Who?" Bella pushed off the door and peered over my elbow.

"Johan."

 **XXXX**


	13. Chapter 12- Catch 22

_**Chapter Twelve: Catch-22**_

" _ **Sweet Emotion" by Aerosmith**_

 **~Bella Cullen~**

"One, two, three, four, five!"

"C'mon Cullen, you've got more in you than that!" Santiago yelled at me.

I kicked the bag five more times, the sweat pouring off my face. Counting in my head, I tried to pour all of my anger and frustration into every punch.

"Okay, two more sets and then I want 10 burpees and 10 v-ups."

 _Fuck._

This getting back into shape thing sucked. But I was determined to get into the best shape that I could. Something inside of me knew that I needed to be ready for a day when I would need it. It wasn't just about losing the baby weight, or reaching a goal. I needed to be fit and I wasn't sure why.

After two more rounds of roundhouse kicks, burpees and v-ups, Santi—as I liked to call him—finally gave the wrap.

"Good work B, you're killing it." Santiago pulled up beside me on the mat as I stretched.

"Thanks…not totally back yet, but I'm feeling stronger." I shrugged.

"Whatever B, I'm guessing most of the women on the Upper East Side would kill to be where you are only a few months after having a baby." He gave me a stern look.

"Yeah." I shrugged.

"So how's Edward doing?" Santi changed the subject.

"He's…okay." I sighed. "Well not really, he's stressed as shit and he's making me stressed which is why I want to kill the bag every time I'm here."

"Can't say as I blame the man?" Santi shrugged and took a drink of water. "You gotta understand the type of shit he's seen B, it's not you're every day stuff." Santi raised his eyebrows at me.

I knew that. I _knew_ that.

I was at the golf course.

I was the subject of a kidnapping.

I saw the way his was when he was undercover.

But ever since we found out J. Frederico was Johan Frederico, his overprotectiveness had moved into overdrive. He was now training at the FBI facility 4 days a week. He hadn't said that he was going back under cover, but somehow I could feel it in my bones that he would be.

I wasn't happy about it.

But this time, I had more than just myself to protect. I had Eric and Lucy to protect. I would be here alone, as the protector for my family. It was why I had pushed myself so much the last few weeks to get in even better shape. Santi and I had been working on not only getting stronger and faster, but he'd shown me more self-defense moves and offensive moves in the event I needed to fend off an attacker.

"You know B, this shit going on, it doesn't seem that organized." Santi pulled me from my thoughts. He was ex-military-special forces. He knew the kinds of stressful situations Edward had been in. He had been in many of the same.

"How do you mean?"

"It was too blatant, too obvious. No self-respecting hitman is going to get in a gunfight in the streets of New York City. If you ask me it was amateur hour. Just ask your husband that." He gave me an odd look and I paused.

 _How would he know about that?_

"Santi?"

"C'mon B, the guy's a legend in the Bureau." He shrugged and pushed himself up off the floor. "I did some contract work for the Bureau back in the day. Let's just say I know."

Interesting.

I laid back on the mat as Santi picked up the weights and the ropes we had used in today's workout. As I stretched out my sore legs, I thought back on the night we found out about Frederico. Apparently, Edward had worked on the mission to take down a man named Johan who he believed he was one of Aro Volturi's counterparts referenced in my grandmother's journals. He also believed Frederico was related to him in some way, possibly even his son. Though he didn't know he had a son when he was in South America.

I shuddered as I thought about the journals. But I couldn't pause on it for too long otherwise I'd want to beat the crap out of more than a punching bag.

The question was, why would that come back now? Why would Frederico come back now? Did he want revenge?

Or was it Volturi? Did he want us killed?

I suddenly felt a shadow cross over me and I opened my eyes to look up.

"You need some help?" He smirked down at me and I smiled.

"From you? Always." I hadn't noticed him come in the door.

Edward grabbed my leg and helped me stretch my hamstring and the back of my leg. After stretching it, he bent it down and pushed into my hip, which popped and caused him to quirk an eyebrow at me.

"You trying to loosen me up for something?" I teased as he moved on to the other leg, gently grazing down the side and making a shiver go down my spine.

"Maybe." He smiled cheekily, but still not his full self.

He had been so tense the last few weeks, when we were together he was passionate, but distant. I'd tried to lighten his mood as much as I could but he was deep in his own mind most of the time.

Watching. Waiting. Poised to strike at any second.

"Well maybe once the kids are down we can see how flexible I am." I winked.

"Bella…" he sighed and huffed but then shook his head with a half-smile on his face.

I reached my hand up and he pulled me from the floor. But before I could turn to walk back to the locker room, he wrapped his arms around me.

"How was your workout Liefje?" He pushed the hair that fell out of my ponytail behind my ear and kissed my cheek.

"Good. Santi kicked my butt. You should join me sometime. Maybe I could take you now; I've been working on some new moves." I joked as I put my hands on his chest.

He chuckled and then got a dark look in his eyes.

"Hey don't go there." I stopped him. "You know as much as I do, that it's not a bad thing for me to be able to take care of myself."

He sighed. "I know. I just hate that we even have to do this."

"How was work?" I stepped back and grabbed my towel and water bottle. "Any developments?"

"Possibly. We can talk later, but why don't you get dressed and we'll head home."

I walked back to the locker room to grab my things. I had come straight to the gym after work and then Edward left early so that he could pick me up before going home. He barely let any of us out of his sight.

After the attempted hit on us, our car was totaled and we bought a replacement. I found out that Edward had the last one reinforced and didn't even attempt to argue with him when he bought the newest model with all of the same upgrades as well as some other high tech gadgets that he got from Eleazar.

Our house was on 24 hour surveillance by the FBI, NYPD and who knew who else that Edward knew. We had hired June to be our full-time nanny and she came directly to our house each day. Edward felt much safer if our children were under our roof and they had more room to run around and play than in June's condo.

Unfortunately, though the people that were hired to come after us weren't very smooth, they would surely come back again until we found out who was behind it.

I quickly tossed my stuff in my bag and grabbed my jacket. The weather had turned much cooler now that it was November and there was a crispness in the air.

As I walked back toward the front of the gym, I saw Edward talking to Santi as he prepared for his next client.

Santi was a beast of a man as well, but was a few inches shorter than Edward and more square. He had a low ponytail and tattoos all the way up his arms, across his back and his chest. His parents had been immigrants from El Salvador and settled in Texas when he was a kid. But by happenstance, his father got a job in New Jersey when he was 16.

Sadly, moving at 16 wasn't the best for a boy who already felt different than all of his friends. He and his younger brother got swept into the gangs in Jersey until his brother was killed in a gang fight. At eighteen he decided to join the military lest he fall to the same fate.

Like Edward he had a knack for it, and it both straightened him up and gave him direction. He'd been all over the world in the Special Forces, but had been wounded five years earlier on a mission. When he came back to the States to rehabilitate he met his wife Tina, a physical therapist, during his rehab and the two simply clicked. After realizing he enjoyed training when working with her, they decided to open a gym in Manhattan. Now he trained some of the most high-profiled clients in the City.

"Yeah, I agree…it doesn't make any sense to me either." Edward shook his head and turned as I approached. Clearly they were talking about something related to our situation and got quiet as I approached.

"You ready?" I said.

Edward nodded and he and Santi shook hands before we walked out of the building. The uneasiness was instantly back. I'd noticed lately how twitchy Edward was when we were out in public. He always walked in front of me and quickened his pace. His eyes were constantly scanning in every direction. It wasn't until we were home that he would finally take a deep breath.

I took a deep breath once we were in the car and I could see him do the same.

"How was work?" I asked as I grabbed his hand and rubbed the back of it.

"Um…good." Edward looked in the rear-view as he turned the corner for our house. He hit the code on the garage and pulled in before he turned to look at me.

"What's going on?" I asked.

"I need to tell you something, and you have to promise me you will think about it and you won't get upset."

"Okay."

"We got a tip today…on Raven and a few other counterparts. They think he's in Italy. Did you ever hear him mention clients or work in Italy?"

I thought back to our brief time together.

"He went to Europe for work a few times, but he never specified where." I shook my head. "Why?"

"Just something we're looking into."

I paused for a minute. "Why would I get upset about you asking me that?"

Edward turned away and looked out the window.

"Edward. Talk to me."

He sighed and shook his head. "They're going to potentially dispatch someone on him this week."

"Someone meaning who?" I sucked in a breath.

"Possibly Riley, or one of the other agents."

"But not you?"

Edward cringed. "No not me."

"But you want it to be you." I stated.

He turned to me, defiant. It was the same conversation we had for the last two weeks. I didn't want him to go. He didn't want to go, but he felt compelled, as though he had done a poor job with his missions and that was why we were in danger. He felt he was leaving everyone else to clean up his mess.

"Edward it's not your fault. These organizations are vast and there's no way one man could bring them all down."

"I know that Bella." He slammed his hand on the steering wheel. "But goddamnit it's killing me to think that I have to send someone else in my place when it's us that they are after. When it was likely my fault that several of them are still free to begin with."

"How do you know that Edward? You were alone in Brazil, you couldn't have possibly known about everyone." I quirked an eyebrow at him.

He held my gaze for a moment before he closed his eyes and nodded.

"We better go. June will be waiting for us." I stated and unbuckled my belt.

As I climbed the stairs to our townhome, I looked back at him. I wanted to be supportive. I wanted to understand where he was coming from.

But I wanted him _here._ With us. It was a catch 22.

Without another word I went inside to relieve June and get dinner going. It was Friday evening, so we usually ordered pizza or did something low key.

I quickly grabbed my phone while I balanced Lucy on my hip and dialed our local pizza place. Eric was driving around cars beneath my feet and making "vroom" noises.

I heard Edward come in the backdoor and quickly pick up Eric to give him a hug.

"Hey Zoonie, how was your day? What did you do today?"

As Eric babbled on to Edward about their day, I ordered our pizza and walked upstairs to shower quickly before it arrived.

I placed Lucy in her bouncy seat before I stepped under the spray.

The water warmed my body and eased the ache in my muscles from my workout. As I washed my hair I thought about our last two weeks. Edward and I didn't fight. If we did it was over quickly and we usually made up soon after as well.

But the last few weeks a dark cloud had loomed over us. I could see the pain in his eyes as he moved about our home. The terror. I remembered it all too well. But back then he was in the thick of it.

Maybe it would be better if he just went. Maybe he needed to go into the field and take care of this himself. But my heart clenched as I thought of what could happen.

I couldn't lose him. I couldn't bear to live my life without him. But was I just being selfish? And would it even matter? What if they just kept coming after us?

I'd been trying to keep my emotions at bay, but as I thought about the potential options and outcomes I started to see that there really wasn't an answer. I could lose him either way. Because either he would be the shell of himself, always looking over his shoulder, always on edge for the rest of our lives. Or, I could lose him in the field.

I sank to the floor of the shower and just wrapped my arms around my knees and laid my head on them.

 _What were we going to do?_

 _Why couldn't we go back to five months ago when everything was easy, when life was good?_

I wasn't sure how long I sat in the shower clinging to myself until the water started to run cold. I turned it off and got up to step out and grab a towel.

"Oh." I stopped and Edward was standing there, a towel in his hands, wringing it back and forth as he looked up at me.

"Are you OK?" He asked quietly.

"I'm fine." I shrugged, trying to act nonchalantly as I reached for the towel.

"You were crying, Liefje. I'm sorry." He said as he stepped forward and wrapped the towel around me instead.

I paused, reveling in the feel of his arms around me and shuddered at the contact. I had been trying to be so strong the last few weeks that I hadn't cried. Now that I was in Edward's arms, all of the pent up emotion came pouring out of me.

Edward kissed my head and worked his fingers through my wet hair as he held me a minute longer until my breathing steadied.

I sighed and reached up to kiss his cheek before moving past him to get dressed.

"The pizza is here. I got Eric started and I have a bottle ready for Lucy. Come down when you're ready." He said.

"Okay." I sighed and turned to get dressed.

"You look amazing by the way." He said suddenly before he walked out.

"What?"

"I saw you finishing your workout. You're really back in shape. You look amazing Liefje."

"Thanks." I nodded and just went to the closet to get dressed.

 _Well I guess one good thing came from all this stress._

*&^%$#

What followed was our standard Friday night, arguing with Eric to eat, Lucy nodding off half way through her bottle and then the battle over getting Eric to go to bed.

After the chaos and Edward finally hauling him upstairs, I settled in to the study with a glass of wine and my laptop and tried to feel a little more resolute.

I searched James Raven's name, hoping something would come up that might spark a memory for me.

I continued with everyone that I knew from the previous investigation and even tried a few names from my grandmother's diaries when I got an idea.

Surely, the analysts had already looked at all this, but maybe there was something deep in my past, or in my memories that could spark a trigger.

Suddenly something clicked.

A dinner. In Little Italy.

James had taken me to a quaint spot in Little Italy on our third date. At the time I thought it charming and very old worldly. But when we were there I remembered him meeting with a man in the back. It was strange that he left me on our third date, but at the time he explained it as a friend of "the family."

But now that I thought about it, I wondered if he meant a different kind of family. Like a work family, an Italian mob family.

I quickly googled the name of the restaurant and pulled up the site for it. It was no longer in operation as the same name, now it was called Greco's. But the website stated that it had been bought by new owners four years ago.

 _Four years ago, right around the time Edward's mission completed._

Intrigued, I scrolled down to look at pictures of old patrons and the owners and something caught my eye.

A man. A very well-known man.

Aro Volturi.

And next to him was another man. A man who looked strangely familiar.

I quickly jumped up to grab my grandmother's journals and flipped to the back where the very few pictures that she brought with her were kept.

The photos were black and white and much older. But the man in the picture was the same. He had the same hair, the same half smile on his face. He was just much younger in this picture.

My hand started shaking as I looked at it and back at the computer screen. Facial recognition wouldn't pick up something like this. The picture in my hand was much too old and looked much different than the one on the screen.

But I could see the resemblance.

"Bella."

I jumped, startled as Edward walked into the room, carrying his own glass of wine now after putting Eric to bed.

"Are you all right?" He asked as he walked up and looked at the picture.

"I don't know. I think…I think I may have remembered something."

He set down his wine and grabbed the picture out of my hand and then looked at the screen.

"Bella who is this?" He said calmly, but with an eerie darkness to it.

"I think…I think that's my great grandfather. But I don't know his name. It's not in any of the journals. But this picture, I pointed at my computer screen, was taken in the 80s, many years after this one."

Edward studied it for a moment and looked back and forth before closing his eyes shut and reopening them.

"If what I think is true. This could be huge. How did you find this?"

I explained to him how I began thinking back on my time with James and whether anything stood out related to Italy.

Edward nodded solemnly, a deathly stare on his face. Before I knew it, Edward was out of the room in a flash and then back with his cell phone.

"Garrett? Are you still at work?" Edward hummed and then began pacing.

"I need you to come over here. I have to show you something. And bring your laptop with you."

He clicked off the line and then took a large swig of his drink.

"Edward, what's going on? Please tell me."

"Bella, I think you're other great grandfather, Luciana's—I mean Liona's—father might have been Franco Mancini."

*&^%$#

I sipped on my now third glass of wine as Edward and Garrett paced back and forth across our study at 10:00 P.M. Edward had informed Garrett of our discovery and they immediately scanned the pictures to try to run them through Garrett's software but so far they were only getting a marginal hit.

"We may need to go in to the office for this Edward. The stuff on our laptops isn't nearly as good as our systems in the office."

"We have to have something else, there has to be another picture in a file somewhere." Edward argued.

"You know how Mancini was. He kept out of the spotlight. He rarely had his picture taken."

"Wait…wait…" Edward stopped suddenly. "Your grandmother's diaries, her youngest brother was Russo?" He asked. "How old would he have been when she came here?"

I thought for a moment, she was only nineteen when she came to the states so Russo must have been maybe two or three.

"Two or three. Why?"

"That would put him in his sixties now. Pretty close to Mancini's age in this picture." He hit the picture and immediately grabbed his own work bag.

"Where are you going Edward?" Garrett asked then.

"I'm going in to the office. I think we should run this against a photo of Russo now; they would be roughly the same age. Interpol or someone has to have a more recent picture of him."

"Ok, let's go."

"Bella, are you good here?" Edward asked quickly.

I nodded, not quite sure what to say.

I sat back down with my glass of wine in hand. As usual I was having trouble keeping my emotions in check. I got up and looked through the diaries some more, but not knowing how to read Italian I wasn't able to decipher much.

Instead I read through the later years, as she fell in love with my adoptive grandfather and reminisced at my own love story with Edward. It wasn't so unlike our situation.

"We're going to figure this out Nonna. I promise you. And we're going to finally come clean from it." I whispered to the empty room.

*&^%$#

I felt him before I opened my eyes. I felt his energy, his heat as he climbed into bed next to me.

"What time is it?" I murmured.

"2:00. It's ok, go back to sleep Liefje."

But I was awake now and I wanted to know what they found out.

I sat up and leaned on my shoulder looking at him. He was wide awake and seemed to be strung like a livewire.

"What did you find out?"

"75% match." He rolled on his side facing me as well. "That could be a really big break Bella, how did you remember that?"

I shrugged not sure why it came to me, why I even went in there after dinner to look at it.

"I just wanted to think of anything I could. I'm part of this too you know. I know you feel like you need to go back, be involved in any way you can, but I feel that way too. I want to help." I said emphatically.

"Well you may have helped so much that they are looking at sending a team to Italy to investigate sooner than expected. They think they might have a lead on Raven with some of the old Mancini contingent in Italy." Edward stated.

"Wow. That's great." I sighed and rubbed my hand down his face. "You should probably get some sleep. The kids will be up early."

He huffed and laid back down on the bed putting his hands behind his head. "I don't know if I can."

I could tell he was tense. I was tense. Hell our entire family was tense. We were under watch, practically living under cover, never seeing the light of day.

Maybe it was the wine in my system, or the scattered emotions coursing through my body, or the fact that I was a bit excited about the fact that I had actually helped the case, but I had an idea.

"How about we relieve some tension?" I quickly climbed on top of him and put my hands on his chest.

Edward's eyes immediately shot to mine as I ground down on him.

"Liefje, now?"

"Shhh…" I pressed my fingers to his lips and then slowly leaned forward and kissed him before trailing my lips down his neck.

He groaned lightly as I worked my hands and my lips across his chest, down his sides and slowly pulled his boxer briefs down his legs.

"What are you?"

"Shh…" I said again and smirked at him before taking him in my hand and then kissing the tip of his cock.

"Fuck." His hand instantly shot to my hair as I took him in my mouth, working him up and then down slowly as his hips bucked up against me.

I could feel his body tensing, his other hand gripping the sheet as I started to move faster.

Then he tried to move me off, but I stayed where I was and grabbed his hand and put it back in my hair.

"Shit that feels good…" he groaned and his head dropped back, his entire body clenching in front of me as I smirked up at him. He was still impeccable. Hell he looked as good as he did when we met since he had been training so much again lately. His taught abs clenched and flexed as I grabbed him in my hand to pump him and then put my mouth back on him again.

In a matter of seconds he was thrusting into me, his hands weaved in my hair as he cried out expletives and thanks.

He quickly pulled me up only to repeat the favor—twice—until I was squirming and aching and didn't know if I had anything left. But as soon as he pushed inside of me, slowly still as it still took me some time to adjust after Lucy, I could feel the familiar fire burning from deep inside me.

We moved and stared into each other's eyes, just reveling in the feel of being together.

He sat up and turned me around so that he entered me from behind but I was sitting on this bent knees. I loved it this way because all of my weight forced him deeper and his hands were _everywhere_.

"Fuck Liefje you feel amazing and you look so fucking sexy. I could have taken you on the floor of the gym earlier when you were stretching." He growled in my ear as his hands gripped my hips, my sides, up my chest.

"I would have wanted you to take me, and bend me, any way you want me." I moaned back as he put his hand on my clit.

I cried out as his other hand kneaded my breasts and he picked up his pace.

"Can you come again? Can you come all over me?"

Just as he said it my orgasm ripped through me and he held me close to him as he followed me seconds later.

Slowly he laid me back down and we quickly cleaned up and climbed back in bed.

I curled up in his arms, feeling sated and sleepy after our release of tension.

But there was still something bubbling under the surface. It would always be there until this thing ended.

"I don't want you to go…" I started and I felt him tense around me. "But I would understand if you did."

He sighed and pulled me closer to him. "I know. I want…and I don't. I can't imagine leaving you and Eric and Lucy. She's so little. What if I'm gone for a year or more? I can't imagine missing that time with them."

I turned around in his arms, seeing the same fluctuation of emotion over his face that I had felt the last two weeks.

"Edward, if it means that we will be safe for all the years to come, then I think it's a no brainer." I stated. "But if you're only going because you think you need to fix something or make amends, then that's different."

He thought for a moment and then nodded. "Yeah, you're right. If I go, it's because I need to know that I think I can solve what's in front of us, not because of what has happened."

"Exactly."

Suddenly he yawned I could see the tension in his body releasing just a bit.

"Do you feel better?"

He smiled sleepily and then pulled me into him. "I hate this, but I do have to say that the sex is fucking amazing when we have so much tension to relieve."

I chuckled and felt myself relax into his embrace. As I drifted off to sleep, I tried to ignore the nagging voice in the back of my mind wondering just how many days we had left.

*&^%$#

The following Monday I arrived at work early hoping to get ahead of my day. Even though I reduced my hours, my workload didn't seem to get reduced at the same pace.

As I checked my emails and worked my way through my morning agenda, I heard a knock at the door.

"Bella, there's someone here to see you?" Samantha peaked her head in and I looked up puzzled.

"Is it Rose?"

"No ma'am, Mrs. McCarty is on your calendar for lunch, but it's only 9:00."

I glanced at my laptop seeing she was right and even more confused about who it could be.

"Show them back. Do you know who it is?"

"I think it's the Whitney woman." Samantha whispered and I paused as I got up from my chair.

That was odd. Why would Claire Whitney be here to see me?

I smoothed out my skirt and patted down my hair as I stepped away from my desk. The Whitneys were huge donors to the Met, but given her history with Edward and my role at the Met I couldn't possibly figure out why she would be here to see me.

Samantha brought her back and after offering her coffee, closed the door to my office and left.

She was dressed to the nines as usual, yet odd for someone who didn't work and it was a Monday. Her hair was in a short, straight bob, and she had on a yellow fitted dress. Her eyes shone their cold blue, but her face looked harder than the last time I saw her.

"Claire," I stepped forward and offered my hand, "what can I do for you?" She shook it limply and looked at me peculiarly.

"Have a seat." I gestured, before I made my way back behind my desk. If we were going to meet, then I wanted it to be apparent who had the upper hand here.

"I'm here on J.'s behalf." Claire started and I buckled a bit as I leaned back in my chair.

"Why is that?"

"It seems you've been dodging his offers. I have to admit, I was surprised he wanted you to work for him so badly, but he does love his art." She stated mysteriously.

"His offer was very generous. But I'm just not looking to take on anything new at the moment. As you know I just had a baby and Edward and I are getting settled into our new home."

Clair arched her eyebrows and then regained her composure. "I can understand that, but he believes that there may be some misconceptions about his intentions."

"What does that have to do with me?"

Claire paused and looked around my office before she turned to me again. "It's my understanding that you think he may be involved in something…untoward."

I nodded minutely, not sure what to say.

"He loves art Be—Mrs. Cullen." She corrected herself with a smirk. "Nothing else." She finished emphatically.

What was she trying to tell me? Was this a message? Had he sent her to get the FBI off of his trail, or was he really not involved in the ways they thought he might be.

Claire waived her hand dismissively and looked around the room again. "I guess I can understand why he would want to open his own gallery and have you run it. You do have impeccable taste."

She turned and stared back at me and I couldn't help but wonder if we were talking about art still or….

 _Edward._

We stared at each other for a moment before she spoke again. I bit my tongue because for some reason, becoming upset with her didn't seem like it would get me what I needed from this conversation.

And truthfully, I wasn't sure what I needed yet.

"I have to admit, you're quite different than what I expected." She finally stated.

I leaned forward and put my hands on my desk, trying to remain cool and collected.

"I'm not sure what you mean. We've met before?" I asked.

"I mean, the type of person I expected him to be with." She sighed.

"And what did you expect?"

"You're much more… _professional._ I always thought he would end up with someone like me. That he would come back from gallivanting across the world and find a girl from the Upper East Side. You know, settle down with a family, have a bit of a social life." She stated, with a slight tinge in her voice.

"He has a family. _We_ have a family." I clenched my teeth. "But I think what you mean is not marry a cop's daughter from Brooklyn who works for a living?" I retorted. "But maybe that's why it works, because I understand him." I raised an eyebrow at her.

 _Don't you even try to make this about my husband. You don't know him at all and you never did._

She shrugged nonchalantly, as if to say "I had her, but she didn't care."

"Maybe. Regardless, J. would still like for you to consider his offer. And consider what else I said."

She got up then and I stood up from my chair. She walked to the door and put her hand on the knob before pausing.

"You know a lot of people lost a lot of money when Jan died." She said coolly.

"Your father included I believe." I crossed my arms and stared at her.

"It's only money though. You wouldn't want to lose something… _more_ important."

The hair on the back of my neck stood up and I immediately walked around my desk and put my hand on the door so she couldn't leave.

"What are you getting at Claire? What is this all about? Because I don't have time to play games." I said through gritted teeth.

She shrugged. "Nothing really. Except that money isn't everything." She said too sweetly and then pulled at the door until I released my hand.

I stood there holding my breath, trying to figure out just what she was getting at as she left.

"Oh and Bella." She turned back one last time in the hallway. "I know you know him better than anyone, maybe you can get him to listen."

I let out the breath I was holding as she walked away.

 _What the fuck was that all about?_

 _A shot across the bow?_

 _A warning?_

I stood there going over our entire conversation, before I could run after her she was out the door and probably half way to the parking lot.

Money wasn't everything?

Did that mean Frederico didn't care or wasn't involved?

Or that we were on the wrong trail?

Or that Edward shouldn't go?

I quickly dialed my phone and grabbed my handbag to leave.

"Bella? What is it? Is everything okay?" Edward answered breathlessly after only one ring.

"Yes, everything's fine. But there's been a development. I'm on my way to your office."

*&^%$#

Edward and Garrett stood there as I went over the conversation again and again.

Was it possible that J. Frederico wasn't involved?

Or were they trying to push us off of his trail? Or off the Whitneys trail if they were involved in some way.

Nothing had come up other than that Claire's father had invested money in Cullen Enterprises, but that didn't mean it wouldn't.

Frederico hadn't checked out either. Though it appeared he was related to Johan in some way, they weren't sure yet if he was his son, or related at all. Or if he was truly an art collector from Brazil.

 _But then how did he make his money?_

We were all puzzled as to the connections and what Claire Whitney's apparent warnings meant.

Suddenly there was a knock at the door and Edward called to the person on the other side.

"SA Cullen, SA Morgan." A man in full FBI gear walked in quickly and then stopped when he saw me.

"What is it Agent Jackson?" Garrett said.

"Sir." He looked at me again.

"Jackson, is this related to the Cullen investigation?"

"Yes."

"Then you can say whatever you need to. This is Edward's wife, Bella."

He nodded and then took a deep breath before he began. "Two of our agents apprehended Raven in Naples this morning…" He paused.

I sucked in a breath.

"And?"

"During the transport, they were ambushed and…they were both killed, along with Mr. Raven."

Silence overtook the room as we all stood there.

"Fuck." Edward muttered, rubbing his hands over his face.

"Do they have any idea who did it?"

Jackson stepped forward and gave Garrett a few pictures that I couldn't see. Edward walked over quickly and stopped short. He and Garrett looked at each other and before I knew what was happening his pen holder went flying across the room.

I stepped forward, hoping to see for myself. When Garrett turned the picture to me, I saw a grainy photo of a man.

A man who looked strikingly similar to my great grandfather and even resembled my brother.

And a woman with long black hair.

 **XXXX**

 **A/N:**

 **Well on that note. Hello again. I know it's been forever. I know. But yeah…I'm already working on the next chapter.**

 **~AMJ**


	14. Chapter 13- Labyrinth

_**Chapter Thirteen: Labyrinth**_

" _ **November Rain" by Guns 'N' Roses**_

 _ **~Agent Cullen~**_

" _Charles get down!" I shouted as bullets whizzed by our heads._

" _We gotta get the fuck out of here E."_

 _She was a good shot I had to give her that. As soon as I knew the gig was up, I'd slipped out in the middle of the night only for her to nearly take my head off and in place of it the top of a column at Johan's mansion._

" _Fuck. We need extraction now."_

 _I ducked as I heard more bullets pepper the car and I quickly pulled my phone from my pocket to dial in._

 _After quickly making the call, my shoulder slammed into the door as Charles took another curb at lightning speed._

 _We were screwed if we didn't get out of the streets of Rio._

 _I quickly shed the monkey suit I was wearing and put on my Kevlar vest. Charles took another hard turn causing me to slam into the door and I cursed as my shoulder stung a bit._

" _Sorry." Charles cringed as he took another turn and then suddenly came to a screeching halt._

" _Ok E, man we gotta haul ass."_

 _I could hear the chopper in the distance and quickly grabbed my gun and my bag._

 _We sprinted up the outside steps of a worn down building, only to see two Mercedes suddenly stop below us._

" _Fuck, go man!" Charles shouted as we dodged bullets and finally climbed on the roof. In a matter of seconds the helicopter set down and I sprinted under cover of fire to it only to dive in and throw my bag._

 _Charles was right behind me but suddenly cried out in pain as he climbed in._

 _The chopper took off into the Rio night, but I grabbed his arm and pressed my hand to the blood now pouring out of it._

" _I'm fine man, I'm fine. It's probably just a flesh wound." He cringed, but I kept my pressure on it._

" _You think they got him?" I asked over the roar of the chopper._

" _Yeah, I think they did. I saw her running out as we left the mansion. I'm pretty sure she was always one step ahead of him."_

 _I nodded, hoping that was the case. But tiredness was also starting to set in after almost a year under cover. I laid back and let the hum of the chopper lull me until we landed in Venezuela._

My eyes shot open as I thought back on my extraction from Brazil. Charles was a British agent I had met there. We came to understand that we were trying to take down the same criminals and worked together. He wasn't my partner per se, but when it all blew up at the end, we got out together.

I hadn't spoken to him since, but I knew he got out of intelligence after that mission. He thought the shot in his arm was just a flesh wound, but it got infected and he ended up having nerve damage in his arm. As far as I knew, he was still off the grid.

I had only been under for ten months in Brazil. But in that time I'd become a trusted member of Johan's circle and unfortunately too close with Zoraida.

Her long black hair teased me from the corners of my mind—though not in _that_ way.

Instead it made me wonder: why come back now? Why not do it sooner? Was this all my fault? Could I have somehow prevented it?

Yet, I felt if she wanted to kill me she would have either done it already or been much more discrete about it.

I rolled on to my side to see Bella sleeping soundly next to me. I thought back on our conversation in my office on Monday.

Raven was dead.

Two of our agents were dead.

So was it something else? Were we scratching at the surface yet again of a much larger organization? Clearly, there were several in play together.

I lay back and stared at the ceiling and thought of all of the connections:

The Jaguars were run out of Miami by Zoraida—at least it appeared that way.

From what I found out from our analysts that week, it looked like there were two Russos. The older one, was indeed an enforcer in his prime, but was likely Bella's great uncle and too old for that sort of thing.

The other one though, was far more dangerous. He was the one wanted by Interpol and by the entire European secret agency network. He was also the far more lethal one. As Bella had thought, he looked similar to her brother, but with striking red hair. We believed he was the older Russo's son.

I thought I couldn't be surprised by anything at this point. I thought I wouldn't be able to believe another connection related to Bella, but I was.

She was a direct descendant of both the Mancini and Volturi crime families—two of the most notorious and far-reaching crime families of the twentieth century.

Yet here we lay.

I lightly brushed the hair back from her face as she sighed in her sleep. To think that this amazing woman could share blood with people so… _evil_ , was beyond comprehension.

I looked at the clock, realizing that at 4:30 I might as well get up as I wouldn't be able to go back to sleep.

I quietly snuck up to our security center and logged in to my system. I felt like the knight or the king on a chess board, as though everyone else was moving around me, but I also wasn't the one ultimately being protected. I couldn't place the feeling and it was maddening. Usually I could figure out how every piece fit together. But this time, I couldn't. Because as much as they all fit, they didn't.

Bella and I had revisited Grandma Lucy's, Nonna's, diaries over the week to look for any more clues. The only things we could continue to connect were the names we had already read.

Volturi- to her father Mancini- literally the Italian crime boss based out of Naples, Italy.

Johan, the Brazilian head of mafia, and lately it appeared Zoraida in Miami.

My grandfather, the head of the Northeast United States and Northern European crime families.

The Draconis, head of the Eastern European crime families.

But there was one remaining that we had not figured out, a Spaniard. When we first read the diaries, I had lumped Johan and the Spaniard together, I thought they were one of the same. But the more we read, I felt as though they were different. I felt as though there was one string pulling all of them together.

I had done a stint in Spain, just a short three month assignment. But I had only been involved with taking down a businesswoman who had been planning to flip on the FBI. I'd tried to think back on any possible indicators from it, but nothing stuck out.

In fact most of my assignments between Brazil and Romania were short three monthers. I had a few in Russia and Poland, one in Germany and another in Greece. But again, nothing stuck out or seemed to connect in any way.

I was beyond frustrated.

I was beyond torn.

I was beyond…all of it. I was like a caged lion, backed into a corner and ready to strike out at any moment. Though I had to push it all down now because my number one priority was no longer a mission or a target…

It was my family. My little boy and my little girl sleeping down the hall, the love of my life curled up in our bed. My parents in their home in the Hamptons, only wanting to finally enjoy their retirement. My sister, who had two beautiful girls of her own and my brother-in-law Jasper.

And Eliot and Ailey and all of our extended family in between.

I was in limbo and I hated it. I _hated_ it.

I wanted to go back. I needed to go back. Though everything in my brain said that it wasn't the right decision, my gut said it was. My gut said that this entire situation revolved around me. Somehow, the entire investigation seemed connected to me.

Not Bella, strangely.

But me.

I shook off an eerie feeling as I checked the monitors, seeing nothing suspicious, and then closed down to head downstairs. I heard a murmur through the monitor as I walked through the bedroom. Bella was still asleep so I decided to check on Lucy myself.

As I peeked in her crib, Lucy smiled up at me, all gummy baby smile. She was four months old and starting to develop a personality. She cooed up at me and I melted at her smile as I reached in to pick her up.

"Mijn Meisje, what are you doing awake?" I snuggled her close to me as she put her hand on my face and gurgled at me.

For as hard of a baby as Eric was, Lucy was a dream. I knew she was probably hungry, so I cuddled her close and walked downstairs to the kitchen to warm up a bottle.

As the bottle warmer hummed and bubbled, I rubbed her cheek and she wrapped her tiny fingers around my thumb. If it came to me or this tiny, amazing little being in my arms, I would give my life for her. I would give my life for any of them.

The warmer beeped and I grabbed Lucy's bottle and made my way to the living room. I sat down in the chair and snuggled her close as she ate. I thought about the future, about taking her to school for the first time, her first tooth, her first boyfriend (sigh), her first dance, and sending her off to college, and even (if I could handle it) walking her down the aisle at her wedding.

Would I be here for that?

Would I give up being here for all of that so that she could _have_ it?

I was strangely calm as I thought about it. Like the parallels with Bella's grandmother, I couldn't help but wonder if I wasn't in a similar position to her grandfather, Patrick Swan. We had learned over the years that he had most likely given up his life to save Luciana and Charlie and his brother. He knew something and yet he selflessly drove himself off a bridge into the cool depths of the Hudson River taking all that he knew with him.

Now, what I would give to have him sitting here. I could feel it in my bones, as I was on the cusp of a similar decision.

I decided to join the mission that was most assuredly going to be heading to Europe soon. Would I only have days left with my family?

"Hey." Bella's voice pulled me from my thoughts and I looked up to see her sleepy form walking into the room.

"Why are you up so early?"

"This little one was stirring." I shrugged and noticed that she had drifted back off to sleep. In all of my thoughts and memories I realized I had been staring at her for several minutes, her bottle long finished and her eyes closed and snoozing against my chest.

"She loves her Daddy." Bella sighed as she kissed her fluffy hair and rubbed her fingers down her cheek.

I swallowed and looked back down at her. She was becoming a spitting image of Bella, dark hair, dark eyes and creamy skin. Bella would have to beat the boys away some day.

 _I wouldn't tell her that I was thinking of it that way._

"Hey, what's troubling you Apollo?" Bella asked as she ran her hands through my hair.

As I looked back up at her, the quiet of the room settled around us. She was beautiful in the moonlight. She was always beautiful. Her hair cascaded in waves over her shoulders. Her tank top and boy shorts left little to the imagination, but I knew what was under them.

Yet her face held concern as she sat down on the arm of the chair next to me and put her arm around my shoulders as I held our sleeping baby.

I sucked in a breath as I prepared to tell her what I was thinking. I was getting better at communicating, but I wanted to protect her so badly that I still had a hard time telling her the things that were going through my head.

"Final orders are coming out today. Garrett told me." I stated and I heard her breath hitch. "They're bringing in Seth, Liam, Riley, and three of the other guys that worked on a few of the related missions.

"Okay…" She paused and turned to look at me. "And what about you?" She finally asked.

I stopped breathing for a moment. I licked my lips and looked in the distance before turning my face back to the sleeping beauty in my arms.

"I'm going too, Liefje."

*&^%$#

"Dad?" I called through the house and didn't hear an answer.

"Mom?" I walked further into the living room, finally seeing the curtains billowing from the back deck and determined they were probably outside.

"Edward?" I turned to see my Mom walk out of the kitchen with two drinks in her hands. "What are you doing here?"

I smiled halfheartedly. "Hi, where's Dad?"

"Out on the patio." She stated, but I could see the instant concern sweep across her face.

"Good."

I followed her out to the patio, only ready to make my fourth of four stops today. It never got any easier. But I had already stopped at Alice and Jasper's house, then Angela and Ben's.

Even Mijn Broer's grave.

As I shook my father's hand, I saw the look of inquisition on his face and then sat down in the chair. The ocean waves were slowly crashing against the shore, creating a smooth albeit a bit unnerving cadence to for what I needed to do.

We made small talk for a few minutes, getting up to speed on how they had been keeping themselves busy the last few weeks since I had seen them at Halloween for trick or treating with Eric.

"You know when you all come out for Thanksgiving, I think it would be fun to make that sand…" I heard my mother trail off and I paused. I could feel them looking at me as I rubbed my fingers across the glass of Ketel One in my hand.

"Edward?" My dad asked then.

"I'm going back." Was all I could stutter out and I heard my Mom suck in a breath.

I eyed her as she looked at my father, her gaze holding his for longer that I could handle. Until she finally stood up and set her glass down.

"I…I can't." She paused and I could see tears fill her eyes as she pushed her chair away from the table and walked away.

I watched her form go into the house as I turned back to my father and I could see the solemn look in his eyes.

"Dad."

"Are you sure about this Edward?" He whispered, his eyes and face wrought with worry and tension.

"I have to Dad….I …I have to."

"But what about Eric and Lucy? What about Bella?" He asked.

I blew out a breath and leaned my elbows on the table. "I'm afraid if I don't go, then we will never be safe Dad."

"But why you, Edward? You've put in your time. It doesn't have to be _you_."

"I think it does, Dad. I think…" I stopped and looked off in the distance at the waves hitting the shore. "I think whatever is happening, whoever is after us, is really after me."

"So you're just going to march into the lion's den?" He argued. My father rarely raised his voice or got upset, but I could see him visibly disagreeing with me.

"Edward, it's only been a couple of months. Don't you usually have to case these things for years? I'm no expert, but I feel like you were much more prepared for your other missions."

"I know. I agree with you, but Dad…I can't explain it. I feel like I need to go, like I am the only one who can break this case. I think I saw something, or know something that will make it all come together."

My father sighed and turned to look at the ocean as well. "Well I guess you made up your mind. I obviously can't stop you, I never could. But I think you know what you have on the line now."

I nodded and swallowed.

"We'll be here for Bella and the kids, you just need to do everything you can to make it back to them." He turned and held my gaze.

I stood up then, not having much else to say. It was the same conversation with the rest of my family, my friends. But I had to do it. I couldn't explain it.

My father stood up and followed me into the house and to the door. The mood of their beautiful beach home had shifted. It was somber as my Mom came to the door as well. She had tears in her eyes and her shoulders shook with emotion.

"When do you leave?" My Mom finally asked.

"Two days."

My Mom closed her eyes and tears streamed down her cheeks. I gave them both hugs and turned to open the door.

"I love you." I sighed and closed the door behind me.

As I walked to the car I turned to look at them, hoping it wouldn't be the last time I would see them. It was so different from my other missions. In the past when I walked away, I couldn't wait to run from the pain and the sadness that home held for me. But this time, home was my anchor and I was going toward the pain, toward the unknown. It was much scarier.

I gave them a small wave and climbed in the car, hoping it wouldn't be the last time I would see them.

*&^%$#

"So you think they took out Raven because he knew something?" Garrett asked me as he stared out the window into the dreary, rainy day.

We had just finished analyzing the documents, pictures and diagrams for the fifth time in as many days. I nodded, thinking it was the only way. That or he got tied in with someone and double crossed them.

We were briefing for the mission on Sunday afternoon and I would be taking a redeye that night so that I could arrive in Spain in the morning.

We were going in separately. I was obviously going in alone and going through Spain. I was going to connect with Eleazar first. He had been an intricate part of our take down in Brazil and I couldn't help but wonder if there was a connection between his involvement then and the mission now.

It had also come to light in the last few weeks that Kebi had been spotted in Italy. I knew now that Johan, and by extension Zoraida, did business with my Grandfather. I wasn't sure if they wanted me taken out because my mission had obliterated most of their Northeast contingent, of it was something deeper.

I was also suspicious of Volturi. Was he planning to rise to power due to the vacuum left in the wake of my Grandfather's takedown? Was he now reconnecting with old ties in Italy? Where did Kebi fit in to the picture?

Before I could spin my wheels anymore, Seth, Liam and Riley walked in. The other three agents had already been dispatched to Italy to investigate the Raven situation.

Seth and Liam were planning to check on some financing that we found tying the multiple organizations to Switzerland. Then they would be making their way into Italy to hook up with low level mafia there. Their cover was as drug smugglers per usual, but they were also looking into an angle on black market mineral trade. Blood diamonds were still a huge black market seller in Europe as well as Gold, Platinum and Lithium used in tech.

Finally, Riley was charged with finding and tailing Zoraida—if she was even in Europe still.

I couldn't follow her. Yet Riley hadn't been involved in any of the missions connected to the investigation yet so he offered a fresh face and new perspective. If he was not able to infiltrate through whatever organization she was working with, he would meet up with Liam and Seth in Italy in a few weeks.

Me, well, I would be going in covertly as an assassin yet again. Yet, I was hoping to find some sort of connection with a Spaniard, more importantly the Spaniard that Luciana spoke of in her journals.

We had some leads—though pretty thin—that a small operation still ran out of Galicia. During the mid to late twentieth century, the Spanish mafia was run out of Galicia. But when the Mancini's went down in Italy, the Spanish mafia also quietly disintegrated.

Or so we thought.

Galicia was on the northern tip of Spain, directly north of Portugal and one of the furthest eastern ports of contact for those coming from the West to Europe. It was a natural shipping point and a natural area for black market trafficking as it provided a point to connect Europe and Africa with shipping to the West.

Once I saw the intel on some recurrence of the mafia in Galicia, I'd recalled an interesting conversation I'd had with Eleazar after my mission in Brazil…

" _You did well in Brazil, Edward." Eleazar stated as the waiter brought our drinks._

" _How did…?"_

 _He chuckled and shook his head. "Do you think I just sit on a bluff in San Martin sipping Aguardiente?"_

" _Why do you do it?" I asked him as the amber liquid burned down my throat._

 _Eleazar smiled his easy smile. "Edward. I have more money that God himself. Why not do it? I funnel millions of dollars into good causes. I could give and give and give money away all day and still not make a dent. But something like this, I can make a dent. I can actually see the effects."_

" _C'mon Eleazar there has to be more to it than that?" I pushed him as I leaned forward. The hum of the restaurant around us and the darkness of the wood gave a quiet stillness to our conversation._

 _I could see his black eyes dancing for a moment, as though he was thinking about just how much he wanted to tell me._

" _Why are you in the FBI, Edward?"_

" _I wanted to serve." I shrugged._

 _He arched an eyebrow at me and took a sip of his drink._

 _I blew out a breath and closed my eyes before responding._

" _I want to kill them—all of them: anyone who deals in the underworld, who trades people and guns and weapons as though it's candy. I want to avenge the deaths of our innocent civilians on every corner of this planet."_

" _Especially your brother's?" He remarked and my eyes shot to his._

" _How did you?"_

" _Come now Edward, I'm a smart man with my hand in every type of technology from here to Egypt, but a Google search could give me that information." He quipped._

" _Then why did you ask."_

" _Because I wanted to see just how far you would go for family. It's the same thing that drives all of us."_

" _What's that?"_

" _Blood."_

I wasn't sure exactly what drove Eleazar to do what he did. But I had a sneaking suspicion it tied to a certain someone, though I'd never been able to draw out of him.

Regardless, Eleazar had bankrolled countless U.S. missions. The Bureau would often use him because he could provide funds that were untraceable to those who had a keen interest. His technological empire was so expansive that it would take twelve FBI Agencies to track down all of the connections.

It was part of the reason I asked him to outfit my entire home and car to keep my family safe.

"Well, are we ready?" Garrett asked as we looked at the documents spread across the table.

"As I'll ever be." Seth said. "You're not going this time old man?" Seth teased him then.

"'Fraid not. Kate and I just found out that we have been chosen as adoptive parents and we will be the proud parents of a little girl sometime next month."

"Wow, that's awesome Morgan. Congratulations." We each shook his hand and he nodded his thanks.

"I won't be doing any more field work after this. Twenty years is enough I think." He turned to give me a stern look and I swallowed, knowing exactly what he meant.

Seth, Liam and Riley readied to leave and we each gave our best wishes and "be carefuls" before we reconnected in Europe. Seth gave me a man hug and a firm "be safe" before he walked out last.

I grabbed my bag, my new Glock, phone, computer and a number of other trinkets and got up to leave as well.

"Cullen." Morgan called after me as I reached for the door.

"I'm not sure what it is about this one, but something in me feels as though a cat is ready to pounce on its unsuspecting prey. So if something doesn't feel right, don't just forge ahead. It's ok to pull back from time to time. Be careful."

"I will be Morgan. I know what's at stake." I stated.

"I know you do and that's why I'm concerned about you getting blinded by your protectiveness."

"Garrett." I sighed.

"Listen Edward. I know I don't need to remind you what you're going into. I know you've seen everything. Yet no one has seen _everything_. Keep your eyes and your ears open…and goddamnit get yourself back to the States."

He clapped his hand on my shoulder and I nodded before walking out.

*&^%$#

When I arrived at home shortly before dinner, I heard Eric screeching and running from Bella in the kitchen.

"Daddy save me!" He giggled.

"Oooh, I'm going to get you now." Bella pretended to come after him and he squirmed and belly laughed in my arms.

Bella blew raspberries on his stomach until he was out of breath. I kissed him on the cheek and set him down so he could go off to play.

"Hey." Bella sighed as her smile turned into a look of concern.

"Hey." I reached for her and pulled her into my arms.

"How was your briefing?" She asked quietly as I held her close.

"Good. I'm as prepared as I can be." I shrugged.

"What time are you leaving?" She whispered.

"Midnight."

She nodded and stepped back from me to take a deep breath. "Ready to eat?"

"Yeah." I swallowed.

I stepped around Bella to help her get ready for dinner, trying my best to make the last hours I had with my family the best that I could. I made faces with Eric and held on to Lucy and kissed Bella as many times as possible.

As I rocked with Lucy, while Eric took a bath, I memorized every tiny line in her face, every wisp of her hair, the way her lips puckered in her sleep like her mother's and the way her brow furrowed from her dreams.

Soon, I kissed her head and walked in to the bathroom to get Eric ready for bed.

"Zoonie let's brush our teeth." I sang and danced with him to get him to brush before ruffling his blonde hair and taking him to bed.

After reading two stories and singing our songs, I tucked him in.

"Zoonie, I'm…I have to go away for a while." I swallowed. "For work."

"Where are you going?" His sweet voice asked and I reached up to run my fingers through the blonde curls again.

"I'm going across the ocean. I'm gonna ride on an airplane."

"An airplane! Cool! Can I come?" He said excitedly.

"Maybe next time Zoonie." I smiled. "But I need you to do something for me."

"What Daddy?"

"You're going to be the biggest guy around when I'm gone so I need you to be Momma's helper. Can you do that for me?"

"Yup. Momma already told me I get to be her special helper."

"Good, so you need to be a very good listener for her and help her with Lucy okay?" I sighed and kissed his forehead. "I know you are the best big brother and the best son Daddy could ever ask for…" I stopped, my words getting caught in my throat. "I'm going to see you real soon Zoonie okay."

"Okay Daddy."

"You just remember, no matter what, I love you to the moon and back. You're my big guy right?"

"Right Daddy, I'm the biggest."

With that, Eric wrapped his arms around my neck and I breathed in his scent, letting it fill my nostrils and my mind so that I could carry it with me over the next few weeks.

I kissed him again and tucked him in before stepping out of the room and leaning against the wall. This was so much harder than it had ever been before. Walking away from my son, my daughter- they were the world to me.

Suddenly I got an idea. I heard the shower running in our room, so I hurried up to my security chamber where I had my laptop.

I put it on video and blew out a breath before I hit the button to record.

"Bella, Eric, Lucy…" I began.

For the next fifteen minutes I let my mind and my heart pour out every ounce of love and emotion that I could into the screen. By God if something happened to me, they had to know why I went and how much I loved them. That I was going for them, that I was going to do everything I could to come back to them, but if I didn't then I wanted them to all _live_.

When I finished, I quickly sent the file to my email at work and to both Garrett and Emmett. The title was self-explanatory and I wanted them to give it to Bella in the event something happened to me.

I looked at the clock and noticed it was almost nine. I would have to leave for the airport around ten. Though I didn't think there would be much traffic on a Sunday night and I had special clearance to get right through security.

As I stepped down the stairs, I heard music playing in our room and walked in to see a candle lit next to the bed.

Bella sat on the edge of the bed, her back to me, breathing shakily in only a black lace chemise.

I walked around to her and could see she was on the verge of crying. Her eyes filled with tears as I dropped to my knees before her and put my head in her lap. Her hands immediately went to my hair and she kneaded my scalp as my breaths became more staggered.

Without a word I moved up her body, breathing her in. From her stomach to her chest to her neck and up to her lips I inhaling deeply, burning her essence into me.

No words were spoken as I lifted the chemise and laid her back on the bed. Though tears were streaming down her face as she pulled me to her, I wanted— _needed_ —one last moment with Mijn Vrouw before I left.

I kissed every single inch of her body over and over and over again.

Memorizing.

Tasting.

Absorbing every ounce of her being into my senses.

When we finally came together it was raw and we stared into each other's eyes. I prolonged it as long as I could, but my need to show her how much I loved her outweighed everything.

She sighed and trembled as I held her in my arms afterward until I finally had to get up to leave.

I took a quick shower and changed into my familiar uniform of a black shirt, pants, hat and leather jacket.

My duffle was packed by the door and Bella stood with her shoulder against the wall, eyes shining with tears until I pulled her to me. She'd told me she couldn't do a long drawn out good-bye, she couldn't prolong the process by going to the airport.

She wouldn't say good-bye at all in fact.

And I didn't blame her. I couldn't say those words either.

"I love you, Mijn Zon." I finally said and kissed her one last time before I turned the handle and left.

"I love you too." I heard her whisper before the latch clasped and I walked out into the November rain.

*&^%$#

I stood in line to board the plane, my heart and mind warring with one another as I prepared to make my exit.

 _Was I doing the right thing?_

I was so sure of it the last few days. But now, as I inched my way toward the jet-way, I couldn't help but wonder if I'd made a mistake.

Every part of my being, every part of my soul knew that I left the best piece of me behind in Manhattan.

I had been a ghost before I met Bella. I had been chasing a memory, driven by anguish and revenge. She'd brought me out of the light and provided me with a new life, a new beginning. We had two amazing children and an amazing life together.

 _Why? Why did I feel compelled to go?_

Because that amazing life and all that we had built was being threatened once again. And if I didn't go, if she was taken from me in some other way or someone hurt Eric or Lucy, I would never forgive myself.

That was what drew me forward.

Just as I was getting ready to hand my ticket to the flight attendant checking in each of the passengers, I heard a voice in the distance.

"Edward!"

I turned, the flight attendant giving me a strange look as I pulled my ticket back from boarding the plane.

"Edward!"

I heard her before I saw her. She stopped short right on the main walkway of the terminal as she looked frantically around her.

Quickly, I stepped out of line and walked away from the counter.

I stopped, a mere ten feet from her, seeing her chest heaving and her hair flowing down her back.

"Bella." I said quietly, but loud enough she turned quickly and looked at me.

I studied her, as though it was the first time at Gray's, as though it was the first time I saw her in the Greek and Roman exhibit at the Met—as though I might never see her again.

I studied her.

The dark chestnut of her hair, the soulfulness of her eyes, the flushed pink of her cheeks from running down the terminal. The way her chest heaved and her beautiful face flowed into her beautiful body that only I had explored night after night and day again for the last four and a half years.

"Edward." She whispered and her eyes filled with tears.

Yet we stood there, locked in our stances, passersby walking around us and through us as though we never existed.

Finally I swallowed, the dryness in my throat getting the best of me as it cracked when I finally spoke.

"You came?" I said quietly. Still not moving, still not reaching. Though I wanted to with every fiber of my being.

"Yes." She sighed and finally took the first step forward.

Before I could say another word I rushed to her and pulled her into my arms, my lips meeting hers in frenzy, right in the middle of the terminal walkway. I traced my tongue over her lips and pulled her head into both of my hands and tipped her head back as I kissed her with every single ounce of me.

Finally when I slowed, she put her hands on my face, the tears slowly tracking down her cheeks as she looked up at me. Dark brown with grass green, and leveling me with that stare. That stare that I would take with me day in and day out for who knew how long.

She licked her lips and I could see her steel her resolve as she leaned up to give me one more chaste kiss.

"I just had to tell you, come back to me." She pleaded.

"I will Liefje…I promise, I will." I sighed and crushed her body to me, hoping that it wouldn't be the last time I felt her chest against mine, the way she fit perfectly in my arms.

"I love you. I will love you forever. You're everything to me." She murmured and I heard the flight attendant call the final boarding announcement.

I glanced up to see I was the last person to get on the plane and caught the eye of the attendant who was looking at us curiously.

"I loved you before forever." I whispered and kissed her head. _"Jij bent elk deel van mij en zonder jou ben ik niets."_

With that I shuffled my duffle over my shoulder and turned to walk down the jet-way.

I couldn't look back.

I couldn't see her tears, or her face or feel the utter desperation in me that likely matched them.

But I could feel her. I could feel every part of her as I walked down that jet-way. My body taking me away from everything I had always wanted, yet everything I had to do this mission for to protect.

As I stepped on the plane and climbed into my first class seat board for Madrid, I just thought about her and I knew…I knew somehow, some way, I had to make it back.

 *** &^%$#**

 **A/N:** Well…he's off. Not like you didn't see that coming considering the title of the story. Not sure on updates, just watch your inbox I guess. Won't be far apart likely though, as I finally feel like I have this thing written in my head.

" _Jij bent elk deel van mij en zonder jou ben ik niets." =_ You are every part of me and without you I'm nothing.

Til next time.

~AMJ


	15. Chapter 14- Otherside

_**Chapter Fourteen: Otherside**_

" _ **Otherside" by the Red Hot Chili Peppers**_

 _ **~Bella Cullen~**_

"Edward!" I yelled as I sprinted down the terminal like a wild woman. My hair was flying around me and sweat was dripping down my back.

Five minutes after he'd left, I had an unyielding need to see him just one more time. To beg him to please come back to me, to us. I'd called Alice to see if she could stay with the kids for a few hours and as soon as she arrived at the house, I tore out of the garage and onto the freeway for La Guardia.

I had to make it in time. I couldn't let him go thinking that I didn't want to be with him every waking second until he left.

"Edward!" I yelled again as I abruptly stopped at his gate.

I looked around frantically, his bronze hair would be easy to spot, but I panicked that he had already boarded the plane.

Until I heard it, that low sultry voice that I would know anywhere.

"Bella."

I turned to look at him; just drinking him in, knowing it would be the last time for who knew how long.

And I studied him, like the first time I saw him at Gray's, or the first time at the Met, or the first night I really met him at Alice and Jasper's.

All beautiful man with his hard jaw, jade eyes and wild hair.

My beautiful man. My Apollo.

"Edward." I finally whispered and my eyes filled with tears.

We were locked, unable to move just staring at each other as if it was the first time all over again.

"You came?" He said quietly.

"Yes." I sighed and finally took the first step forward.

Like the speed of light, he was to me, his arms wrapped around me and his lips crushing mine. I pressed myself against him, drank him in and kissed him with everything that I had.

Finally when he slowed, he put his hands on my face, as tears slowly ran down my cheeks.

"I just had to tell you, come back to me." I begged of him.

"I will Liefje…I promise, I will." He murmured and then crushed me against him once again.

"I love you. I will love you forever. You're everything to me." I said, barely able to speak the words through the burning emotion in my throat.

Suddenly I heard the flight attendant call his flight and I knew the imminent was here.

"I loved you before forever." He whispered and kissed my head. _"Jij bent elk deel van mij en zonder jou ben ik niets."_

I sucked in a breath as his arm slid along mine, down to my fingertips, touching for every last bit we could until he slowly walked away.

He didn't look back. I knew he felt the same as me, like my insides were ripped out of me and on the floor for everyone to see. My heart was pulsing and beating so hard it was outside of my body and everyone could hear it.

As he stepped on the jet-way and boarded his plane for wherever he was headed, I had to fight my knees from buckling. I had to fight the bile that was rising in my throat and I had to fight the ugly cry from bubbling up out of my chest.

Instead, I turned and slowly walked back to my car. Back to my life—our life—in Manhattan, and just prayed that I would see him again.

*&^%$#

The kickback of the gun was harsh, but exhilarating as I unloaded the chamber into the target ahead.

Six shots in concession, closer and closer to the middle of the head.

It was release. It was a feeling of doing something after not talking to Edward for two weeks.

I hadn't gone a day without talking to him in over four years.

I pushed the button to bring the target back and set the gun on the shelf in front of me.

"Nice shot kid."

I turned to see my father smirking at me as he assessed by targets.

"Learned from the best."

My father snorted and shook his head. "That would be Edward dear, but thanks."

I rolled my eyes at him, knowing he was a damn good marksman himself. I watched my father out of the corner of my eye as I removed the target from the conveyor.

"What?" I finally asked, as I could feel him studying me.

"How you holding up?" He asked quietly.

I shrugged. What could I say?

It sucked. It royally fucking sucked.

The situation was so much different than the last time he was under. He was with me nearly every night then. We hadn't been apart for more than a couple nights in four years.

And that was for our bachelor & bachelorette parties.

Mostly, I had been trying to put it out of my mind. I focused on work, picking up more hours than I had previously. I focused on the gym, kicking the shit out of anything Santi put in front of me and learning new defense moves and martial arts. I focused on the kids, doing activities with them every night until we were all so exhausted we just fell into bed.

I had an agent outside of our home every night. Yet before I would allow my exhaustion to take me, I would wander up to the security center that Edward set up to check the cameras and the system. He had shown me how to check everything before he left.

But mostly, I just went up there because it smelled like him.

Thanksgiving had passed and everyone was somber at our get together. We went to Edward's parents' house in the Hamptons, escorted by FBI of course. Yet we had a huge get together with Jasper and Alice, Emmett and Rose, Ben and Angela, the Whitlocks, Charlie and Sue and Leah and all the kids. Everyone.

Except Edward.

A black cloud hung over everyone with Edward missing. No one spoke of him. But I could see the tears in Esme's eyes and the worry on Carlisle's face as we said our thanks at the table and everyone wished for his speedy and safe return, and for Seth's as well.

"Bella, why don't we get some lunch. Sue and the kids will be fine for a bit, and I have a couple of my guys patrolling the neighborhood."

"Ok."

Charlie and I left and hit one of our favorite neighborhood joints, grabbing a booth in the back and quickly ordering burgers and beers.

"How is Eric doing?"

"He asks a lot of questions, but okay I think."

My father nodded as he chewed his French fry. "Have you heard from him at all?"

"Nothing." I sighed, no longer hungry for the steaming burger in front of me. "But that's good right. No news is good news when he's on the other side like this." I shrugged, trying to rationalize the situation.

"True." My father nodded in agreement.

"Have you learned anything else about Leah's boss?" I changed the subject. I had been trying to focus on ways I could help the situation, not just wallow in my sadness over missing him.

"Actually yes, that was part of the reason I wanted to go to lunch away from Sue and the kids."

I raised my eyebrows and finally took a bite of my burger silently telling him to continue.

"Remember when you asked me why I reacted the way I did about the department Leah is working in."

I nodded and continued to eat.

"Well I found out her boss has been having her do some…interesting assignments."

"Like what?" I asked before taking a drink of my beer.

"Like translating documents for imports, things like that, since she's fluent in Spanish."

"That sounds like something you would do if you're in international marketing." I shrugged.

"True, but these documents were customs documents and shipping and receiving, and he always asked her to do it 'after hours' or later in the evening, so that he could get them filed quickly in the morning."

"Now that is strange. What are they related to?"

"Shipments of minerals, things that are used in research, not necessarily in the drugs themselves but in stabilizing the drugs. But they're also minerals that are pretty high priced-prime black market materials."

"Hmmm. So what did Leah say about it."

"She's worried about it too, because she doesn't want to lose her job, she really likes it there. She's talked to a few other people in her department on the sly and it doesn't sound like they've had to do anything like that."

"You don't think he knows about Jacob does he?"

"I thought of that actually. So I called Garrett and had him do some digging. The name Jason Jenks doesn't ring a bell does it?"

I shook my head, Jason Jenks meant nothing to me.

"Apparently, that's not his only name. Well I guess he is wanted in two other states under different names and he has some loose ties to the Draconi crime family. So I'm wondering if he didn't know Jacob from some contact previously. For now, Garrett wants to leave him in place and tail him. We're hoping he could lead us to whatever he's trying to smuggle and who he's working with."

"What's Leah going to do?"

"She's cooperating. She's worried about losing her job due to her…colored past." He blanched.

Yeah _that_.

"But more importantly, she's worried that if he finds out she's giving up information he might hurt the boys. I'm working it out with Garrett now to keep things as quiet as possible."

"Do you think it's connected to Edward's investigation?"

"Maybe." My Dad shrugged. "Or it could just be some of the low level Draconis still trying to do business. Too early to tell."

My father finished his beer and paid the tab. I got up to walk out with him when I noticed someone familiar sitting across the bar.

"What are you doing here?" I stated as walked up to him with a knowing smile on my face.

"Just keeping my eye on the Captain. I've heard he's a real renegade." Emmett chuckled and shook Charlie's hand.

"Nah, I told Edward I would pitch in from time to time." Emmett winked at me.

"So he's got you running detail like some newbie?" I raised my eyebrow at him.

"Don't mind it at all Bella. It keeps me here in the States so I'm good with that."

I chuckled hallowly, wishing my husband felt the same way.

And then I sighed, because I knew it was completely different. McCarty wasn't the one on all the missions, wasn't the one connected to everything, and wasn't the one who gunman were trying to take down on Fifth Avenue.

"You want come back to the house for some dessert. I was thinking we could pick up a cheesecake at Norma's bakery." I looked at my Dad and his smile grew big. I knew he couldn't give up cheesecake just like Edward.

"Well, I think I'm obligated to." Emmett puffed out his chest and rubbed his stomach.

We quickly proceeded to Norma's and said our hellos after she teased me about not seeing her in nearly ten years. When we arrived back at Charlie and Sue's, both of the kids were down for a nap and Sue was working on some DIY project and coaxed my father into helping her even though I knew he wanted to watch football.

They really were head over heels for each other. It was nice to see.

But it also made my heart ache as I heard them half bickering over how to complete the project and what went where.

"You want to sit out back?" Emmett asked me as I dished him another slice of cheesecake.

"Yeah. You want a beer."

"Beer and cheesecake, I'm not sure those really go together." He joked.

"Beer goes with everything in my opinion." I teased.

"Nah, I really shouldn't." He sighed.

 _On the clock, right._

I grabbed one and joined him out back. The kids and I weren't going back for a few hours and we would surely have an escort so I wasn't worried about driving.

The step was cold and the air was crisp, but it was an unusually warm early December day. We didn't have any snow on the ground yet and I had found it hard to get into the Christmas spirit with Edward gone.

It was as though I wanted to just delay… _everything_ , until he was back.

"You doing okay?" Emmett asked between giant bites of cheesecake.

"Everyone keeps asking me that." I snarked, though knew he was just trying to be supportive. "As good as expected I guess." I sighed.

"How's Rose doing?" I asked. "She's already six months along, I can't believe it!"

"Yup, and it's another boy. She's excited about it?"

"No girls for you huh?" I teased.

"Nah, I think she wanted all boys. She was worried she'd be too tough on a girl."

I laughed, understanding how she might think that. Rose was a force; that was for sure.

"So how'd Edward talk you into this gig?"

"Didn't take much." Emmett finished his cheesecake and set down his plate only to grab my beer and take a big swig.

I laughed at him as he set it down on the step and leaned back.

"You know it killed him right? Leaving you?" Emmett whispered then.

"I know." I said quietly, staring out of our backyard at the backs of the homes around us. "And I actually understand why he had to go. I just wish it didn't have to be this way."

"Bella, Edward is probably the most complicated man I've ever met. But that's part of what makes him the best. They wouldn't have started an entire program basically named after him if he wasn't."

I nodded and let Emmett continue.

"When you're under you see a lot of…nasty shit." Emmett closed his eyes for a moment, likely thinking back to his own missions. "And there's very few people who you can relate to that understand that. Edward…well he's probably seen even worse than most of us."

"How do you mean?"

"He's told you what he does right? What is primary role is?"

I nodded and shuddered a bit, but not due to the cold.

 _An assassin for hire._

"Yeah." I whispered.

"Well part of setting up a cover and getting in with these people is that you have to carry out that role…and frequently." He emphasized.

Tears formed in my eyes as I thought of what he must have seen, what he must have done, on his missions, all in the name of carrying out his orders.

"So what's that have to do with me?" I finally asked.

"I just want you to understand why he's gone to such lengths to provide this much protection for all of you. Who knows how many number of people could want revenge on him."

I shuddered, to think there could be more.

"But luckily, he's so good, I doubt that's the case. I think this thing is going to be the end game. Just trust in him. And know I've got his back." Emmett shot me a look.

"What do you mean?"

"I've already spoken to Morgan. If they have any indication that anything is sideways in Sp-over there. Then I'm in. Me and about four other agents who have worked with Edward, Liam and Seth before will be on the first plane there."

"Well you'll have to take me with you if that happens."

Emmett leaned back and laughed so hard I thought he was going to roll of the step.

"Wouldn't that be something? Edward would fucking kill me if I let you tag along."

I smirked at him, but it wasn't the first time that thought had crossed my mind. After all, I was just as connected with all of this as he was. It was our family that we were trying to protect. Not just his.

The cool afternoon was turning colder and we went back inside to watch football with my Dad while Sue made dinner. Emmett took off after playing with Eric for a bit.

He gave me a bear hug and told me to stay strong. He was headed to Rose's parents where she had spent the day with Ethan.

"I'll see you soon."

"Yeah." I nodded. "You can always come over to Fort Knox for dinner."

"Maybe we'll do that." He chuckled and walked to his car as I saw another agent pull in.

As I watched Emmett drive off and turned to go back inside, I got a strange feeling that someone was watching me again.

 _It just never ended did it._

I sighed, thinking just maybe I wasn't so crazy about wanting to take things into my own hands.

*&^%$#

I awoke with a start. It wasn't a noise or an alarm that woke me up. It was a dream.

A dream that had been repeating itself every night since my conversation with Emmett.

Edward and I were on a street walking, but it was dark ahead, as though the street was a tunnel. We couldn't see where it was going, couldn't see where it led. Then suddenly a woman appeared. A woman with long black hair.

The woman from the pictures.

Zoraida.

My gut twisted as I thought of her. This evil woman that Edward had shared a bed with.

 _Ugh._

I rolled over and puffed up my pillow as I tried to will myself back to sleep. But I couldn't get it out of my head. I couldn't get _her_ out of my head.

Instead I reached into my nightstand and pulled out a small coin, one that I still held with me for luck. The one Edward left on my nightstand so many mornings ago.

As I lay in bed in the stillness of the night, I rubbed my thumb over the dutch lion thinking about _him_. Praying for _him_. And wondering if he could feel me doing so from the other side of the world.

 _Just come back to me Apollo._ I thought, before I finally drifted back off to sleep.

 *** &^%$#**

 _ **~Agent Cullen~**_

The morning light was bright in Vigo. I stood on the terrace of my hotel, sipping coffee and watching the buzz of the busy port below me. I'd been in Spain for three days, researching known establishments, looking for ties and watching for any familiar faces.

As soon as I landed in Madrid, I got a hotel room and completely changed my appearance. I died my hair blond again, so that I looked like I did in Miami. I put in blue contacts and started to let my beard grow to change up my look. I also started using self-tanner so that I looked like I was from South Florida and not a pasty white Dutch-Irishman from New York.

Once I was satisfied with my appearance, although unnerving due to how much I resembled my late brother, I set out to obtain some new items to fit in. A light blue suit, lightweight pants, jackets and shirts, and shorts were rolled in my duffle before I boarded my train to Galicia the next morning.

Vigo was the epicenter of Galicia, situated on an inlet off the coast of the Atlantic it was beautiful. I could admit that. It was the type of place that I would love to bring Bella back to when this was all over.

 _Bella._

My heart ached as I thought of her. I wondered what she was doing, how the kids were and if she missed me as much as I ached for her just then. I sipped my coffee knowing she was probably fast asleep in our home, in our bed. Her hair fanned across her pillow, her tank probably rumpled up and looking entirely too delectable…

I couldn't let myself go there though. I had to try to push Bella and Eric and Lucy to the back of my mind. I needed to have my head on straight for this mission so I could ensure that I would make it back to them.

I'd coached myself of that fact the entire plane ride to Spain. These first few days were for executing that plan, getting my head on straight before I actually tried to infiltrate whatever organization might still exist in Galicia.

As I drained my coffee, I got up to get dressed for the day. I was going to try to meet with Eleazar and I wanted to be prepared. This was his homeland, his stomping grounds, so I was hoping to get more information from him.

After a quick shower, I readied for the day and shuffled down the stairs of my hotel. I walked into the bustling street and made my way to the café that I knew Eleazar frequented. He had a soft spot for their pastries and had invited me many times over the years to visit him. But he didn't know I was here this time. I just had intelligence that he was staying at his home in Vigo this week.

He owned an entire island, a small one, but a whole island nonetheless on the Ria de Vigo. His home on the island sat up on the hill with an elevator that went down to sea level, and was complete with its own private beach. Yet, I knew he liked to bring his speedboat into town and tie up at the marina. He would walk to the café each morning and have his coffee and a pastry on the sidewalk amongst "his people" as he liked to put it.

I circled the block once, scoping out the place to see if there was anything suspicious about it. But all appeared to be a regular Wednesday morning in Spain. People were chatting and eating their breakfast, the more laid back ways of Europe always struck me after growing up in the most fast-paced city in the world.

 _Bella would really love this._

However I pushed that out of my mind as I finished scanning the place, the patrons, and waited a solid fifteen minutes before going in. I purchased a pastry and another coffee and then walked back outside.

I saw him on back corner of the sidewalk patio area under an umbrella. He looked unassuming, somewhat disguised himself. His silver gray hair, with still dark black streaks in it, curled out from under his straw hat. His eyes were covered in sunglasses as he read a newspaper and sipped his coffee.

"Join me senor, you've only been casing the joint for half an hour already." He finally said to me as I started to sit at a table near him.

I couldn't help but chuckle.

"Am I losing my edge?" I asked as I joined him at his table.

"Not at all my son, it's just not often I see such a blond tan man in Vigo, Spain."

I laughed, but he had to know why my appearance looked the way it did.

"You're here to see me I presume, otherwise you would be home with that beautiful wife of yours and your bambinos, no?"

I smiled, not wanting to give up too much about why I was here. He didn't know I was on a mission. I wasn't sure if he still bankrolled missions for the FBI, as it had been over ten years since I was involved in one that he had.

But Eleazar was eccentric. He took interest in things and went all in on them. Then he was on to the next big thing. I could see him getting bored by his involvement in the FBI. Or perhaps he still provided money but didn't get involved as much as he once did.

Garrett hadn't mentioned anything and I hadn't seen anything in the files. Thus part of my meeting with him was to determine his level of involvement at this point and get any information he might have regarding mafia of the past.

"I'm actually here as a favor. Nothing serious." I started.

"That doesn't sound like your line of work, Ed-, I mean, senor." Eleazar tipped his head and I chuckled.

"Sonny." I finally stated before sipping my coffee.

"You don't look like a 'Sonny'." Eleazar laughed.

"Doesn't matter. You know me. I can be anyone I want to be." I shrugged nonchalantly.

"True, true." Eleazar shifted and set his paper down as I leaned back. "So what do you need, _Sonny_?" He emphasized.

My eyes scanned the street and the cafes across the way, noting the people and the place, cataloging everything, before I spoke quietly. "What's your experience with the Galega?"

Eleazar stopped, the cup half way to his lips, before he took a sip and shifted uncomfortably.

"Not much. They were dismantled in the late 90s mostly. Before I started getting involved in much of this." He said.

His inflection was strange though, very un-Eleazar and not jovial like he normally was.

"Any indications that they've kicked back up?" I asked and glanced around me.

It was then I noticed a man at a café across the way. He had long black hair and a ponytail. He had on a similar straw hat and round Ray-Bans and a mustache. He was holding a newspaper and he had a clear view of us but I could barely see him through the pole on the patio where he was seated.

I noted his presence and his movements as I looked back at Eleazar.

"Well Sonny, I haven't heard anything. But I've also been out of that game for a while." He raised his eyebrows.

 _So he was out of his work with the FBI, but he was clearly hooked in ten years ago._

 _So why did he quit?_

"Let's talk about some lighter things." Eleazar switched gears. "Have you ever been parasailing?" He smiled and leaned forward, completely changing direction.

I was curious at his drastic diversion, but played along. "No I haven't."

We chatted for another hour, and he invited me to his island to go parasailing and jetting off his boat. All the while I watched the man at the café across the way. He was alone, planted in his spot. Until about ten minutes before we left, he got up and walked down the street and out of my vision.

"Well, I best be on my way." Eleazar finally said. "Carmen will be wondering where I am." He winked.

"A new lady, is that your reason for getting out of the game old man?" I teased.

Eleazar laughed. "She's not new Edward. She's been there all along, just not out in the open."

Something struck me about what he said, but he was jovial so I dismissed it.

I got up to leave and Eleazar invited me back the next day.

"Same time, same place." He tipped his hat before strolling away.

I watched him walk away and then for some unknown reason, I followed him.

I kept my distance, but slipped into doors and storefronts as he walked back.

But he didn't go to the Marina right away. He went to a cigar club for about an hour before getting in his boat and heading back out onto the bay.

I watched as he boat drove off in the distance, when suddenly I caught site of something—or rather someone—seated on a bench at the Marina, watching his boat as well.

The man with the ponytail.

I quickly slipped away and went back to my hotel.

Something was up with Eleazar and I was going to need a few days to get it out of him. Perhaps I would have to meet with him somewhere more private. But I had a feeling he knew something about the Galega. His strange reaction definitely struck a chord with me and so did the man who appeared to be following him as well.

*&^%$#

For the next few days, I met with Eleazar for coffee at the same time and same place. He regaled tales of hiking in Namibia, and his travels across India, and his visits to South America. But he thoroughly avoided any topic of the Galega or Spain.

And every day that we were at the café, the same man sat in his seat across the way. I found it puzzling, and a little unnerving. Was he following Eleazar or was he following me?

"Come now Sonny, it's supposed to be a beautiful day. Why don't you come out and hit the waves with me?" Eleazar pulled my attention back after his latest story about parasailing.

I decided I wanted to check something out and I wasn't getting anything out of Eleazar anyhow.

"I can't Eleazar, I'm going to be heading to London for a few days and then back to the States."

"Too bad. It was good to see you Sonny, I hope you got the information that you needed." He stated.

My fingers tapped on the table and I leaned back, appearing un-phased. "Nah, no big deal though. I was just trying to help out an old friend."

I stood up and shook Eleazar's hand before leaving. I wanted to walk out first so that I could follow him again, and watch for the other man.

Eleazar stayed a few more minutes before he left and went back to the Marina. I followed from a safe distance yet again, and watched the man with the ponytail do the same. He was on a different bench today.

Then the strangest thing happened.

The man with the ponytail looked back to where I was standing, partially obscured by the mast of a boat.

And he gave me a signal, pushing his sunglasses up his nose and then touching his ear.

 _It couldn't be. Could it?_

I thought back on the last few days and realized every time he drank his coffee he used his right hand. Every time he held his paper it was in his right hand.

Now that I looked at him, I could see his left arm hung rather limply at his side.

 _Charles._

He looked much different from when I had seen him last, but he obviously knew me. In fact he had been the one with blond hair and a tan when we were in Brazil, and now he looked like any regular citizen walking the streets of Vigo.

I watched as he slowly lifted his arm to look at his watch. Then he got up from the bench and walked away, leaving his newspaper on the bench.

I waited a few minutes before leisurely walking to the bench, checking my surroundings to make sure no one else was watching us or laying in wait. But the Marina was busy as it was a Saturday and numerous people were getting their boats ready to go out on the bay.

I sat down on the bench and as unassumingly as possible, grabbed the newspaper and opened it up to read it. I flipped through the pages, pretending to be enthralled in the stories when I flipped back to the front to check the date.

It wasn't today's paper. It was a newspaper from nearly fifteen years ago. Strangely it was in pristine condition.

 _Did he get it from an archive? Had he been waiting to make contact with me?_

I looked back through the paper reading the articles in Spanish, when one jumped out at me.

A mob boss, the last known major player of the Galician mafia, had been killed in his home, September 27, 2003.

I read the article, noting that it was likely a professional hit as no evidence was left to charge anyone.

I noted the name and the address of the home and decided to take a leap. I tucked the paper under my arm and got up from the bench and began to wind my way through the streets of Vigo. As I had so many times, I doubled back and switched cabs multiple times until I had a cab drop me off at a shop a couple blocks away.

My mind was spinning at where Charles was leading me. I meandered down the tree-lined street filled with mansions and grand entrances until I stopped short in front of the address.

Shivers ran up my spine as I looked at the mansion. It was an exact replica of Johan's mansion in Brazil. It was also a message to me. He was still good, he was still on my side and he had information for me.

*&^%$#

The next morning I went back to the café, but not to meet with Eleazar. Instead I went earlier and watched as Charles took his seat at the café across the way. I sat down with my pastry and my coffee and pretended to eat and watch the passersby. When in reality, I was signaling Charles of a different more private meeting place.

When we were in Brazil we had developed a code system for numbers and letters. I'd picked an easy spot, hoping he would remember our system and not giving too much in code. But he was a good agent and I was sure he would get my message.

After tapping my fingers twice on the table and then finishing my pastry, I left the café. I side-winded and spun back multiple times to make sure I wasn't being tailed until I arrived at my destination and waited.

It was a library with massive rows of books and encyclopedias. When I'd scoped it out the day before I knew the second floor was quiet, with many of the much older non-fiction books. I'd also gone to look up more about the man in the article.

As I perused the third row section of the second floor, I could feel someone else's presence. I saw him approach, but not in the same aisle, the aisle through the shelves across from me.

I reached in to grab a book, pretending to be intrigued by the agricultural history of the region and quietly looking around to make sure no one else was up there.

"Senor." I nodded.

"Senor." He responded.

 _No names._

"It's been a long time."

"It has, a very long time. I hope you're well. Still in the business I see." He whispered as he perused his own book.

"Sort of." I sighed and looked around once again. "Listen, I'm going to get right to the point, because I don't have a lot of time."

"Why were you following him?"

He chuckled then and shut his book to grab another. "I'm guessing the same reasons you are. Though I'm not getting paid for it."

"You're not on assignment? I wondered because I thought you had retired."

"I thought you had too." He quipped back.

"Been checking up on me have you?" I teased.

I could see his smile and then subsequent frown as he looked around. "Something stuck with me from Brazil and as I've learned, I think Brazil may have been the tip of the iceberg. I think you've learned that as well."

I nodded, urging him to go on.

"I've been trailing him for a while. I know he financed things in Brazil, so I thought he might be connected to what I found."

"And what's that?"

"The woman from Brazil. I think she's a bigger piece of the puzzle than we ever suspected."

I closed my eyes, thinking through the connections. We needed to level set, Charles and I. We needed to go somewhere that we could truly hash out the details.

"Do they have study rooms here?" I asked then.

"Yes, but I wouldn't trust them." He thought for a moment. "There's a little bar off of Ramon Soler. Meet me there."

"When?"

"After dark."

*&^%$#

Once night fell on the city, I crept out of the hotel and to the bar. I trusted Charles, yet, I was still careful. Someone could be tailing him, or me, I wasn't sure what I was into yet. So after my series of diversions, I stepped into the dark little bar that was surprisingly packed with people. I looked a little out of place, but had gelled my hair back and worn similar attire to many of the patrons. For all they knew I might have been a transplant from the South of France.

I spotted Charles in the back corner, but proceeded to grab myself a drink first and scope out the bar. It was mostly just the normal partygoers of a Saturday night. I joined him in the booth, which was far enough away from the other patrons that with the low hum of conversation I was sure we could chat for a while.

"So how have you been?" I asked, noting how much older he looked than the last time I saw him.

"Better now, but it was rough for a while." He stated.

"I'm sure. I heard about your arm. I'm sorry about that."

"Not your fault." He shrugged. "Could have been my head and then we wouldn't even be sitting here." He smiled.

"True."

He glanced around then and lowered his voice as he spoke again.

"The woman. Have you seen her at all since then?"

Knowing my history with her, I suspected he was wondering if it was really just a cover romance for me.

It was. In fact I couldn't even think about her that way; the thought made me shudder. Yet I was a different man back then, and I wanted Charles to know that as well.

"Yes, but only related to work." I leaned forward, lowering my voice as well. "Listen, I'm going to cut to the chase. I'm married now, I have children and the reason I'm here is because they're in danger."

"I wondered if that wasn't why you left the Bureau so abruptly." He smirked. "Finally got the bite of a good woman did you?"

"The absolute best." I looked around before continuing. "And I don't want to fucking lose it. That's why I'm here. What do you know C?"

"Where did you see her?"

"Miami…and then on video taking out a known operative in Italy. She was with Russo."

Charles nodded, contemplating my comments with a sip of red wine. "I'm not surprised. Did you see the home?"

"Exactly like Johan's."

"Yes."

"So how does it fit?"

"I think she's Galician. I think her ties are here and in Italy, which it sounds like you've already suspected. How does that fit with what you've been working on in the last ten years?"

I leaned back and laughed darkly. "How much time do you have?"

"I have all the time in the world E, that's why I'm here in Vigo."

I narrowed my eyes at him trying to figure out his angle and hoping he would continue.

"I officially retired shortly after our mission, once I knew my arm would never be back to normal. I traveled for a while. I had enough time in with British Intelligence, over twenty years by that point, so I took some time off. Then I did some consulting. You know, standard PI stuff, easy stuff. But something always bothered me about Brazil, about how she got out even though he didn't. So in my spare time I started doing some digging, and it led me here. It's not a bad place to be right?"

I smiled and nodded, no I had just been thinking about how beautiful it was and bringing Bella here this morning.

"I'm hoping we can put the pieces together now though." Charles finished.

"Did you know I was coming?"

"No. But I know about your assignment here eight years ago, and I think it might be related."

"The businesswoman in Madrid? How?"

"I'm not sure, but I have always suspected. That's why when I saw you talking to him, I almost wasn't surprised. I knew at some point, you would come back into the picture."

I blew out a breath. That assignment was so nondescript compared to everything else I did. I never thought much of it.

My eyes darted around and I told Charles I needed another drink before we could get into my history.

Once I sat down I laid out my timeline and my missions. I could have been worried that he was bad now; I could have been concerned that he might double-cross me. But I'd done my research before our mission and I knew he was out of the game from an official standpoint. I'd run checks on everyone I had been under with.

As I relayed the Volturi takedown, our mission in Brazil, the short stint in Madrid, Romania, and even Miami. I could see his look of pure fascination grow wider on my face.

Finally he sat back and crossed his arms and let out a loud laugh.

"You have to be kidding me?"

I shook my head. "Nope. Imagine that. And it gets better. Mijn Vrouw is the direct descendant of the Volturi and Mancini crime families. Not just any of them either, the Dons." I shook my head.

Charles looked at me peculiarly then and leaned forward as he clasped his hands. His wine was long gone and my glass was empty. There were still a few people in the bar but it was getting late and we were much quieter now.

"Shouldn't that make her protected then? At least her and the kids. It's a cardinal sin in Italian mafia to go after the wives and children."

I hadn't given that much thought actually. In all this time of being under, of going after the darkest, nastiest people in the world, I forgot how old school mafia worked. He was right, the wives and the children were off limits unless you really double-crossed someone.

"E, I think that means that whoever is behind this is after you." Charles finally said quietly.

My eyes shot to his as he pulled out his wallet to grab something just then.

He reached forward with a picture in his hand, an old photo that I had never seen before. It was a picture of a family, worn and tethered from time spent folded up in a wallet.

It was a picture of an older man and woman with Johan and another man. Though I didn't know who the other man was, his face looked eerily familiar and I couldn't place him.

"Where did you get this?" I asked quietly, checking around me so that no one could see it.

"Remember the house I sent you to?"

"Yes."

"That's the owner." He pointed to the younger brother. "He's the former head of the Galega-Nahuel Garcia. And I'm pretty sure Johan's brother."

"But Johan's last name wasn't Garcia?" I asked, puzzled.

"They were half-brothers. Different mothers, but they took different last names at some point. I believe to not appear connected."

My mind spun on the information for a moment until something came to me.

"The most ruthless one."

"What?"

"Il distruttore. La sua giaguari."

"Yes. How did you…?"

I closed my eyes and clenched my teeth. Johan's brother. The connection. He was the final piece. Nahuel was another name for Jaguar.

When Liona wrote of him, she just did it in Italian.

"The journals." I finally said. "It was all there. The Jaguars weren't named after Johan, they were named after his brother and the organization is much more far-reaching that we ever suspected."

"Yes." Charles nodded. "And I'm pretty sure Zoraida is in charge of it now."

"But how, she was only Johan's girl?"

"Think E. But did you ever see them _together_?"

My mind flashed back through the scenes, like the reel of a film. Yes I saw them together many times, but not _intimately_.

"Exactly." He finally stated, before I even responded to him. "We best be on our way." He tapped his hands on the table. "Three days. Let's meet again. Here. Until then, we both need to think on how she might fit in."

I nodded, bewildered by tonight's revelations.

Charles walked out first and I pretended to finish my drink.

As I meandered back to my hotel, I thought through all of the possible connections and pieces. How she might fit in, how she might have come to power other than Johan's death.

 _Was she his daughter? Granddaughter? Niece? Maybe she was Nahuel's kin some other way._

The stairs to my room were quiet as I climbed and contemplated the evening. Charles was on to something. Like before it seemed as though the pieces were all there, we just had to put them together.

I turned the key to my door and walked in, sighing as I took my shirt off and tossed it on the bed.

I stepped into the bathroom, suddenly sensing something off. But I remained steady and began to brush my teeth.

He moved too soon though and I saw his shadow in the window. I let him come closer pretending I hadn't seen him and as I bent down spit in the sink, I heard him make his move.

But I was faster.

I quickly grabbed the soap dish on the counter and slammed it against the porcelain basin so that it gave me a nice jagged edge.

At the same time, I cut his feet out from under him and quickly turned around and put him in a hold to incapacitate him as I held the shard to his neck.

I took a deep breath and sighed.

"What the fuck are _you_ doing here?"

 *** &^%$#**

 **A/N:** So I don't usually like to repeat scenes, but some just need to be repeated.

"Sonny" was Don Johnson's character name on Miami Vice. I'm imagining Edward's cover as having a bit of a Miami Vice flair in this story.

Galega = Galician Mafia

Hope you're all still enjoying it. The words are definitely flowing of late, so it shouldn't be too long until the next chapter.

~AMJ


	16. Chapter 15- Jigsaw

_**Chapter Fifteen: Jigsaw**_

" _ **Hemorrhage (In My Hands)" by Fuel**_

 _ **~Agent Cullen~**_

I unlocked him from my hold and stepped back.

"What the fuck are you thinking Biers? I could have killed you in two seconds."

"Shit, Agent Cullen, I'm sorry."

"Goddamnit, don't use my name." I hissed in a low voice. "Now what the fuck are you doing here?" I repeated.

He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck where I had held him. "I needed to get you. I think something is gonna go down soon in Italy and I knew we weren't supposed to rendezvous for a few weeks.

"What about Seth and Liam? Have you had any contact with them? You were supposed to wait for them."

"I know, but I couldn't. There's a lot going on. I think they're trying to set up a new ring or something."

"They who—wait actually."

I put my fingers to my lips and then went to grab my bug detecting device. I'd locked in the safe in the room. I had swept the room the day before, but I could never be too careful.

After clearing the room and Biers, who gave me a weird look, I sat on the bed and told him to continue.

"Keep your voice low, you just never know." I said. I hadn't set this cover up yet fully. I wasn't deep yet and I wasn't comfortable in my surroundings.

Not that you were ever _comfortable_ , but at least to the point that you could sleep a bit.

Biers looked around and then finally sat on the chair across from me.

"I found her and I tailed her for the last week. The second night I was there, she met with the brothers."

"The Draconi brothers? That's impossible. They're in prison."

"No." He shook his head. "Volturi's sons. Caius and Marcus."

"Where did they meet?"

"An old warehouse or factory or something. It was right near the port and pretty nondescript. But it doesn't look like it's been used in years."

"Who else was there? Any other known operators?"

"Yes, Kebi was there."

"Kebi? You're sure."

"Yes but Age—I mean…"

"Sonny."

"Sonny, they killed him."

"The brothers killed Kebi?"

Biers shook his head and then put it in his hands. "No, she did, and she was ruthless about it."

I sighed and ran my hands through my hair. "He must have known something. Just like Raven." I stopped for a moment.

"Were there any other Draconis there. Any other Dracs that were connected to my last mission?"

"I don't think so. But I don't know." Biers shook his head. "Some of them could have been the ones you were connected with in Romania, but I have no idea. There were no pictures of them."

I stood up, contemplating what my—our—next moves should be. Should we stay in Spain a bit longer and try to investigate the Galician connection. Or should we go to Italy? The problem was, Liam and Seth wouldn't be joining us for at least two weeks and even though I was technically alone, I would rather they be there as back up.

"Wait, what drove you to come here? What makes you think something more is going down?"

"They were talking about a big shipment. They kept discussing a contact in the States and that they were going to plant something in a development facility in Jersey that when it exploded could take out ten city blocks. One that's near a nuclear power plant."

"What kind of facility?"

"Pharmaceutical I think."

"Shit, there are about a hundred of those in Jersey. Think harder. Did they give up any names, use any odd terms that could be code words?"

"They kept saying "J" will take care of it.

"Fuck." I grabbed at my hair and paced again. J. Frederico. It had to be.

"Anything else." I implored him.

"No. But I'm worried because…"

"What? What is it?"

He closed his eyes and clenched his teeth. "My son is Jersey, near Trenton."

I stopped short.

"Near Trenton…but that's where…" I trailed off staring at Biers.

That was where the golf course was, my grandfather's club and Aro Volturi's. But why would Volturi want to take that out. Why would he want to obliterate a mass of citizens. Volturi always wanted to make money, not become a terrorist.

Then I thought of something else.

"Wait you have a son?" I asked.

Biers nodded and dropped his head. "I just found out about him before I left. I couldn't do anything…but apparently he's six months old."

"No shit?"

"My girlfriend…well…I guess I wouldn't really call her that. The girl I was hooking up with before I went to training. She got pregnant, but she didn't tell me about it. But she put my name on the birth certificate. Then on Saturday, I was literally getting ready to leave and I got a call from a social worker in Jersey telling me that she'd been killed in a car accident and they were trying to locate the father."

"Jesus. That's terrible."

"I know. So I've been a mess. I couldn't stay, but I couldn't do anything either. I don't know for sure that he's mine. I've never even seen him."

"But you think he could be."

Biers shrugged. "I don't know man. I don't think she was seeing anyone else at the time, and she wasn't really that kind of girl. We were having a fling, but I don't think Tori would be with multiple people at one time."

I rubbed my hands down my face. If this guy was going to be under with me, he needed his head on straight. I didn't need him getting us both killed.

"Listen." I sat down on the bed and clasped my hands. "You need to focus. You need to decide if you can do this, because otherwise you're going to put us both in danger. I need to know if you can get it together. I don't know how long we're going to be here. I don't know what it's going to take. But you need to level set now if you want to continue. Otherwise the best thing you could do is get on a plane and go back to the States."

Biers nodded and then turned quiet for a moment. "I can do this. I've never wanted something so much before. I want to prove that I'm not some shit from the streets that the Captain picked up and had to put in line. I want to prove it to my…" He trailed off.

Father. That's what he was going to say.

I knew this line all too well, but I was too fucking tired for a therapy session right then.

Silence engulfed the room until I stood up and walked around to the other side of the bed.

"You can sleep on the floor. Use some towels or something to bed it down, I don't care, but tomorrow you have to get your own room. I'm going to move as well. I'll figure out a meeting point for us because there's someone I need you to meet. Then we'll go from there."

He nodded and then stood up to go to the bathroom. I quickly changed into some shorts and then got into bed.

As Biers made his bed up and then fell asleep, I contemplated all that I learned that night and all that happened.

Finally I drifted off to sleep wondering just what else might be lying in wait for us.

*&^%$#

Three days later I had moved hotels, Biers got a hotel a few blocks away and we had met up with Charles.

We decided to each take a few different angles to research the possible connections and known subjects. Biers was concerned we needed to get to Italy, but I knew better. Nothing would be going down until they had someone in place on the receiving end, and it didn't sound like they were quite there yet. Frankly, I thought he was being a fidgety rookie, yet I could understand his impatience.

I wanted to go home too. But I didn't want to risk everything I came here for on some damn rookie's hunch.

Instead we waited. We tracked Eleazar, some known old Galega contacts, and researched every shipping line, shipping company, Galega takedown information and other known spots for mafia in Vigo.

I had to admit I was getting a little frustrated. But I had to keep reminding myself that I had to be patient.

The problem was I was frustrated in other ways as well. I hadn't had a chance to work out as often as I usually did and I was ready to kick the shit out of something.

I also woke up hard as fuck every morning after dreaming of Mijn Vrouw, wishing she was lying next to me. I wanted nothing more than to feel her warm body next to mine, feel her smooth legs pressed between my legs.

I could feel her breath across my chest as she looked at me in the morning light, her dark brown eyes dancing as she trailed her hand down…

Fuck, I wanted to be back in our bed, wrapped up in our sheets as I put my lips and my hands on every inch of her body.

As I had to most mornings either in the shower or in bed, I lay back and reached my hand into my boxers, stroking my aching dick.

I just thought about Bella in our bed, her legs wrapped around me as I was buried deep inside her, pushing and pulling, hitting that spot that made her throw her head back against the pillows. I could see her tits bouncing as I slammed into her.

Or the times I had taken her on our kitchen island, the cold marble against my chin as I made her come with my tongue and my fingers before laying her across the island and putting her legs over my shoulders...

Or the time in the Hamptons when I had her bent over my Aston Martin, her ass high the air as I pounded into and made her scream my name.

I just thought of everything.

Her perfect tits.

Her fucking perfect ass.

The way she moved her hips when I was inside of her.

Her screams when I made her come so hard or when I went slow and made her beg for it.

I moved my hand faster and faster as the memories spun through my brain until I couldn't take it anymore.

"Fuck…" I growled as I came and breathed heavily as the short-lived bliss set in.

My breathing soon steadied and I lay there for a moment longer before I decided to get up for the day. I could give into my instincts, I had to—I was a man after all. But I couldn't let myself dwell on it. I couldn't get caught up in missing her and wallowing in sadness.

I had to go on about my day, about my mission and not let my thoughts of her bring me to my knees.

For that reason, I rolled out of bed and brushed my teeth and began to get dressed. But in a split decision I decided to go for a run. I needed that other form of physical release as well.

I grabbed a baseball cap and a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. I couldn't run with my shirt off here, as I'd prefer to do, because of my tattoos that would be on display. I took off toward the Marina, thinking I could kill two birds with one stone and do some scoping as well.

I ran around the marina and through a large park on Paseo Rosalia. Then I decided to take a different route back as I passed the home of Nahuel Garcia. I stopped though as it was only a mile from my hotel and looked at the columns and the statues that were exactly like Johan's mansion. I thought back on my time there, searching for anything in my brain that might be an indication of what it all meant.

As I was jogging away, I saw a car coming down the road and I turned to look back. The car pulled to a stop at the gate and I watched as one man got out and another popped his head up out of the passenger window. I quickly ducked into an entry and watched as the first man put something in a locked compartment in the column and drove off.

I wanted to go pick that lock and see what was inside, but now I was concerned it might be under surveillance. Instead I took off and vowed to come back that night to case the place.

*&^%$#

"So who do you think she is?" I asked Biers as I sipped a beer in a rundown little bar we found off of a dark side street. It was the perfect spot for us to meet. It appeared to be a bit of an ex-pats bar mixed with Englishman and Frenchman. They played soccer—sorry futbol—on TV 24/7 but in English speaking channels.

Biers looked at his beer and thought for a moment. "He didn't seem like she was someone intimate. She looked really young to be in there. Could it be his daughter?"

"Nah." I shook my head. "Eleazar doesn't have any kids."

"You're sure?"

"As far as I know." I shrugged.

Riley had been tailing Eleazar the last couple of days when he went to the same Cigar place that I saw him to go to the first day. He didn't go in, but he watched from the pier as Eleazar sat with two older men and smoked his cigar. One of the days a young woman, a girl really, walked in and spoke with them.

Charles had been looking at another angle, trying to find out more about Nahuel and Johan. I had been watching Johan's place. Nothing had happened since the day I went running, but I was hoping at some point I would see someone else as well.

"What if everything is going down in Italy and we're just sitting here?" Biers sighed.

I shook my head at him. "You're jumping the gun. You need to be more patient. I think we could be on to something here."

"What though? Other than this Nahuel-who's dead by the way and has been for fifteen years."

"Yeah, fifteen—wait." I stopped.

Fifteen. Fifteen. Fifteen. Fifteen. Fifteen.

"What is it?"

"What's address of that Cigar place?"

"Fifteen hundred…"

"Nahuel's house is 1515."

"So what?"

I kept thinking. Where else had I seen that number?

 _Fuck._

"We gotta go." I stood up quickly.

"10 minutes. Meet me at the library in 10 minutes."

With that I took off out of the bar and raced for the library. I had a hunch on something. As soon as I made my way to the third floor I immediately went for the old shipping manuals.

Something had triggered in my brain as I thought about the number 15. I turned the pages of one of the old books on the shipping industry in Vigo. But nothing was jumping out at me.

Finally as I reached for the fifth one, I spotted it. It was an old map. There on the map showed the shipping routes from Africa through the Mediterranean, from Italy to Greece, and Spain to South America, and South America to the U.S. and back again.

And staring back at me were four significant ports all on the shipping line cincuenta.

15.

Naples, Vigo, Rio de Janeiro, Miami and New York.

I stood up as I saw Biers approaching. I wasn't sure what it meant, but I felt like I had hit on something big. The number fifteen meant something. More than likely this particular route was the one they used for their black market activities.

Quickly I looked at other ports on the list- as there were 15 total But a few stood out to me—Port Au Prince, an known human trafficking port, and Monrovia known for its blood diamond trade. All on the one route.

It was then I remembered something from Brazil.

15 men. Johan always had 15 men. They were his loyal contingent.

I quietly shared what I had learned from Biers, making sure no one was around. I knew there had to be more to it. But I wanted to talk to Charles to see if he knew anything else. We had planned to meet that night at another off the path spot.

When another library patron came into our section, I quickly put the book away and walked out without another word to Biers. He knew the meeting spot, I would see him tonight. On my way back to the hotel, I wove my way through the neighborhoods until I was in front of Nahuel's house yet again.

It was dusk, so the streets were quiet and the trees were brustling from the early evening breeze. But the black car that pulled through the gate this time was impossible to miss.

Apparently Nahuel's home wasn't out of commission. It was being used by someone and I intended to find out who.

*&^%$#

"Something is going on. I've seen a lot of activity at the marina and at the port lately."

"You think they're getting ready for something?"

"I'm not sure. Or if it's just the season. But with everything else we've found this last week, I'm suspicious." Charles said as he finished his wine.

The last hour had been insightful. Charles somehow got into contact with an old Galega operative. He was old and out of the game, but he had some stories for him. Being near death, he didn't fear sharing his stories anymore.

Apparently, when Nahuel was killed, much of the Galega went dark or got out of the game. Nahuel had been ruthless with his men, his women and his children. But one child of his had been particularly loyal and this old man suspected she was still in the game.

She. I couldn't help but wonder, was _she_ Zoraida?

Could Zoraida be Nahuel's daughter?

Then he dropped another bomb on us. Apparently, Johan and Nahuel had a falling out. He had always suspected it was Johan who had Nahuel killed. Then Johan was taken out shortly after that by the FBI, as was Volturi, and eventually the Draconis and my grandfather. Mancini had died of cancer in the late nineties and his organization had fractured because of it.

But in the absence of a leader, a Don, there was a vacuum of space to be filled by someone.

It just wasn't clear who that someone was. Maybe Zoraida was in charge of it all now.

That was an interesting thought. She was clearly working with the Volturi brothers. But something still felt as though it was missing. Some big piece of the puzzle, like the eyes of the face in a jigsaw, or the sun in a landscape picture.

Something or someone pulled it all together.

"Well Roger," I said to Biers, calling him by his code name. "I think it's time we go to Italy."

Biers nodded and Charles finished his glass.

"As much as I'd love to join you, I don't think I'd be much help." Charles shrugged.

As Riley and I got up to leave, I shook Charles hand. "You've been more than enough help already. I can't thank you enough."

"Take care of yourself, and that family of yours. And be careful." Charles studied me for a moment as Riley left. He and I would meet up in Naples in a few days.

"Watch your back." He said cryptically.

"Do you know something you're not telling me?"

Charles shook his head and looked to where Biers had walked out the door. "I've just learned over the years that there are very few people I can trust. I think that applies to you as well."

I nodded in complete understanding.

"Remember what you said to me as we left Brazil." I nodded again. "She always seems to be one step ahead. Don't forget that and don't let her be."

"Thanks Charles." I whispered, before patting his shoulder and turning to leave.

A strange sense of foreboding set over me as I walked back to my hotel. I had an uneasy feeling about going to Italy. The feeling had stuck with me since Biers showed up in Spain. I was still a week ahead of Seth and Liam and that worried me a bit. We had our meeting spots, and we had our orders if we saw something go down that we thought we could stop.

But the problem was: it felt bigger than four agents. It felt bigger than my last operation.

As I packed up my room and headed for the midnight train to Madrid. I contemplated making contact with the Bureau. Maybe something had happened on their end. Maybe they had indications that something was about to go down.

Or maybe they didn't know the scope of it either.

The train station was strangely abuzz as I boarded my train and found my room. I lay on the bed and thought through my last few weeks in Spain, putting the pieces of the puzzle together in my head and searching for that one final missing piece.

Soon I would be walking into the lion's den. I wasn't sure if my cover would do much for me, if Caius and Marcus would still be there, if Zoraida would remember me. I had to be careful how I went about making any sort of contact. I had to come up with a plan for why I was there.

I pulled out my knife that Eleazar gave me and flipped it over, feeling its perfect balance and running my finger along the sharp edge careful not to cut my finger.

Then I slipped it under my pillow and let the rock of the train finally lull me to sleep.

 *** &^%$#**

 **~Bella Cullen~**

" _You have me. What else do you want?" I moved up and came back down hard as his eyes rolled back in his head._

" _Fuck!" he growled and thrust up into me in response. Then he leveled me with his stare as he gripped my hips._

" _I want you…to come all over my cock Liefje. I want you to scream my name." He held my hips in place as he lifted up into me and I threw my head back._

 _I cried out and leaned back trying to match his pace. We were a mess of grunts and moans and tangled limbs as we raced to the finish._

 _When Edward's fingers met my clit and he drove into me again, hard, I shattered._

" _Edward!" I screamed his name so loud I was sure the windows might break and he moved faster._

" _One more baby, give me one more."_

" _Oh God…" I gasped as he kept going. Suddenly we were flipped around and I was on my stomach pressed into the sheets as Edward pounded into me. Our slick skin stuck to one another and I buried my face in my pillow as he whispered dirty words in my ear and then out of nowhere his hand met my ass._

 _I cried out again and when I felt the sting once more I crashed._

" _Fuck, fuck, fuck," he growled as he thrust twice more and then collapsed on top of me._

 _I was panting from exertion and deliciously sore all over my body. My ass stung but not in a bad way. I was completely and totally spent._

" _Baby, are you asleep. Baby?"_

" _I think I'm dead." I mumbled and Edward's low voice chuckled in my ear, but suddenly it sounded different._

" _Liefje, you're not dead. I'm right here," he croaked._

Liefje you're not dead.

Not dead.

Dead.

Dead.

I awoke with a start. My body was on fire and all of the covers had been thrown to the foot of my bed. Yet, I was on alert. The dream—memory—ended so strangely.

"Fuck." I mumbled to myself, trying to slow my rapid heart rate and calm myself down.

I missed my husband. I missed his hands and his tongue and every part of him and how he made me feel.

No amount of self-love could make me feel like Edward did. But that word, it rang around in my head like a bowling ball ready to shatter anything in its way.

I lay in the dark staring at the ceiling, wondering what he was doing. Was he okay? Was he safe? Did he miss me as much as I did him, in _every_ way?

 _Was he…_

No I couldn't think that.

My eyes moved to the clock to see that it was almost five. Before I could wallow or ponder any more, I decided to get up and go down to our home gym for a run. My mind needed the distraction and my body needed the release. The kids wouldn't be awake for another hour and I needed that time to myself.

As the belt started and I contemplated my day, I thought about Edward again. Where was he? What was he doing? I had picked up from Emmett that he might be in Spain, but was he still there?

It had been almost three weeks since he left. But it felt like an eternity. My motto had become "day by day" as I tried to just focus on each day ahead of me.

Our families had been more than supportive and helped in any way they could. Rose and Emmett came over once a week. Charlie and Sue came in to the city at least twice a week as well.

But I still felt like I was in a prison. I couldn't go and do things like I used to. I couldn't just run to the market or go shopping, or get a cup of coffee. Even my drive to work, albeit very short, was no reprieve.

Work and my three nights a week working out with Santi had become more of a sanctuary than anything now. Home was stressful and stifling. Home meant two small children with demands and needs and yet a seemingly empty house without Edward there.

I was suffocating, I was free falling and I hated not having any control over the situation. I felt so in the dark this time. It was so different with Edward on assignment, wherever he was, than the last time. Because even though he wasn't supposed to be seeing me the last time, he kept me apprised of the situation he was in, of his mission. This time I had nothing and I hated feeling so out of the loop with everything.

Finally last week, I asked Santi to up our martial arts work. I wanted to get better at defending myself and even taking someone out if I had to. I was getting physically stronger, but the work also made me mentally stronger. I liked the strength, the control it provided, because it was the one thing in my life I could control.

I stopped the treadmill, my breathing labored after five hard miles, and hopped down to do some ab work and stretching. I thought about Christmas coming up, knowing that Edward surely wouldn't be here for it. I'd already wrapped all of the presents and set up our tree without him.

But it wasn't the same. Nothing was the same, and I hoped it wouldn't be like that forever.

*&^%$#

"Yes, Lauren, what can I do for you?" I sighed into the phone. Lauren Mallory was on the line I could only imagine what she needed.

"Oh hi Bella. I have a reporter here that wants to speak with someone about our latest exhibit. I was wondering who I should send her to?"

I'm sure my face held a look of utter confusion. "Lauren, I'm not in charge of our external communications. You need to send her to Pamela's team for that."

"Well but she said she knew you." Lauren argued.

"Still, I don't deal with external comms. Have her talk to Pam." With that I put the phone back in in's holder and shook my head.

Lauren was an annoyance and terrible at her job, but I wasn't sure why she was contacting me at all.

Fifteen minutes later there was a knock at my door. I was engrossed in preparing for our Christmas event. It was something new we started in the last few years as a fundraising event for a new kids program the Met sponsored.

"Come in." I said without looking, assuming it was probably just Samantha.

"Bella, there's someone here to see you."

"Who?"

"A reporter, a Maggie someone?"

"Cripes." I groaned. "Lauren is such a moron."

"What?"

"Never mind. Send her in."

Maybe if I just talked to her then I could go back to work.

Samantha left and I quickly saved what I was working on and shut my laptop.

"Good morning Mrs. Cullen."

"Good Morning Maggie. It's been a while. Have a seat." I shook her hand and moved back behind my desk.

"What can I do for you?"

"Well, you're a hard person to get in contact with." Maggie stated as she prepared her notepad and recorder.

"I'm not really sure why you're here? You should know I don't work on external communications for the Met."

"I'm not here regarding the Met."

"Then why are you here?" I tensed. I knew she had been snooping around a story about our family, but that had been months ago.

"I'd like to get a few statements from you. Get your side of the story."

"My side of the story? I'm sorry but I don't understand?"

"The paper is fully prepared to run a story next week on your family."

The hackles on my back rose, but I tried to keep my temper in check.

"Regarding what exactly?"

"Your extended family. Do you have any comments on it?"

I leaned forward and put my head on my hands and stared right at her. "Listen Maggie, I don't know what kind of inside information you think you can get from me simply because you used to work here, or what you think you know, but I'm pretty sure you're totally off-base."

"Am I? So you will go on the record and deny that your grandfather is Aro Volturi. That a hit was placed on you and you're husband's lives a few months ago and after a failed attempt, your husband stated that he would kill Volturi. Now apparently you're husband has been gone for three weeks and Aro Volturi has surprisingly jumped his parole. There's suspicion that your husband was more involved with his grandfather, Jan Cullen, than first indicated and perhaps he's not the upstanding FBI Agent he's presented to the public."

Blood rushed from my face as I sat there. It wasn't that people didn't know that Aro Volturi was my grandfather. But it had never been confirmed in the papers, no statement had ever been made. Even more importantly, very few people knew about the accident and attempted hit and even fewer knew about Edward's altercation with Volturi.

But for her to sit there, in my office and accuse _my husband_ of such things—I couldn't stand for it.

"You have no idea what you're talking about. I don't know who you're sources are, but you need to check them. How dare you come into my office and make accusations about my husband."

"You're not denying them."

"I wouldn't waste my breath doing so. I'm not sure where or when you lost your moral compass Maggie, but I suggest you try to find it again."

I stood up and walked to the door and opened it. Maggie stared me down and I stared right back. She shoved her notepad in her bag and then shrugged it over her shoulder.

"Get out."

As she walked back I gripped the door, my anger getting the better of me. I turned at the final second and called after her.

"Why does it matter?"

"Why does what matter?" She responded.

"What type of interest would a story like that have? Other than to drag a bunch of people's names through the mud, people who have done nothing but try to rise above the entire mess."

She walked back toward me and looked straight at me. "Because I believe there's more to the story. I think either the FBI was covering something up, or there's another player still at work here and I tend to find out. But right now your husband is the only one connected to all of it. So what do you expect people to think?" She said lowly.

"You're wrong. I can tell you that much and not on the record—but you're wrong about Edward. Move along Maggie."

With that I closed the door and willed my breathing to steady.

 _What the fuck?_

What could she mean the FBI was in on it? I knew they had hid that Eric had been working for them and a lot of things had been off with Edward's last mission—Emmett tracking me, the lack of information sharing, all of it. But why now, why this? What were we missing?

I stood there and racked my brain over and over again to try to figure out what could be the driving force for this coming about again. Suddenly it hit me. There was only one thing that these people cared about—only one thing that they would do anything for and cross anyone for.

Money.

And I knew who was behind the latest attempt instantly.

I flung my door open and marched down the hallway at a stampede's pace. Everyone in the cubicles outside my office stopped talking and turned as I sped past.

I was going to end her. That little twit had finally crossed the line this time, and I had a feeling it wasn't just her that was behind it.

The offices on the other side of the floor were more open because it was our business and marketing area and everyone could see me coming as I marched toward her. But she didn't. She was too busy flirting with one of the guys in her department.

"Lauren Mallory!" I shouted and the entire department went quiet.

Suddenly I stopped. I didn't need my family drama displayed all over work. I had to keep some semblance of composure.

"In Mr. Banner's office, _now_." I seethed.

"But he's not my—"

"Now!" I shouted.

Hushed whispers took over as Lauren stood up and walked past me. I wanted to slap the smug look off of her face. It was taking every ounce of self-restraint not to at the moment.

"Ladies, what's the matter?" Mr. Banner looked startled as I all but pushed Lauren into the room.

Before I could stop myself I let it all spill out—accusing Lauren of sending Maggie to my office, of her giving private information to a reporter, and every other underhanded thing she had done in the last few years. I realized I sounded like a dramatic high schooler but I didn't give a shit anymore enough was enough.

"The real question is Lauren: who put you up to this? Because you sure aren't smart enough to do this on your own? Was it your parents? Was it the Whitneys? I know your families are close."

"This is all your fault you know?" She spat finally.

"How's that exactly?"

"Daddy doesn't have any money anymore. That's why I have to work in this worthless job. I was going to marry up and get away from it all—but you! You had to go and ruin that for me?"

"Lauren I think you're delirious. I have no idea what you're talking about."

"It's because of you that Daddy lost all his money. You're the reason that Jan Cullen went down and everyone who was invested in his company lost everything. Everyone thinks you're so innocent, but you're just a skank from Brooklyn who got lucky with Edward."

"I think I've heard enough." Mr. Banner jumped in. "Lauren, pack up your desk and leave. This type of behavior is not appropriate and we will not tolerate it."

Her eyes looked like they were going to pop out of her head and I was still trying to process what she was saying.

Were the Mallorys bankrupt? The Whitneys too? Did they all blame the Cullens for their losses.

It was absurd. But as I knew money was all these people cared about.

"You're going to get it coming to you. There are far more important people who feel the same way." She growled as she turned and walked out of the office.

I just shook my head as I looked at Mr. Banner. He sighed, knowing he was going to have a shit-storm to deal with regarding her parents.

"I'm sorry."

"No Bella don't be. Why don't you take off for the rest of the day. I'm sure it will be hard to get much done anyhow."

I sighed, knowing he was right. Something about this whole situation seemed off to me.

I knew who I needed to talk to in order to get some things straight.

*&^%$#

"Bella, this is a surprise. Why aren't you at work? Oh my God is everything okay?" Esme grabbed at her heart as her look of surprise, confusion and then fear crossed her face in a matter of seconds.

"Everything's fine Esme, I just…had the afternoon off and I was wondering if I could talk to you and Carlisle for a moment."

She sighed a breath of relief. "Yes, he's in the office, I'll grab him."

Esme walked down the hall and I heard her talking to Carlisle as I looked around. Their new place was significantly smaller than the townhouse, but still big for New York City. It was on the twenty-seventh floor with amazing views of the park. It had soaring ceilings and windows and was very modern and bright. They still had three bedrooms and an office and massive kitchen. But they had room service and a gym and every other thing possible on site.

"Hi Bella, how are you?" Carlisle gave me a kiss on the cheek and I reciprocated. "I'm as good as can be." I shrugged and Carlisle nodded sadly.

"Let's have a seat. Would you like a drink?"

"I'm good thanks. I'm going to head to the gym to work out some aggression after this." I chuckled wryly.

"Is everything okay?"

Esme still brought me water and I thanked her as she joined us at the table. I relayed the events of my day to them and they both looked just as puzzled as I felt about the situation.

"Carlisle, you had to deal with your father, with Jan's affairs, after everything. Was there anyone else who was angry or upset about selling off Cullen Enterprises?"

"I mentioned to Edward before he left that there was an investor. I'm not sure who it was, the members of the board couldn't tell me. But I've been trying to get information on it and I find it odd that no one will tell me."

"That is strange. Were they threatening legal action?"

"Yes, that was my understanding. But I haven't heard anything more on it. I found it perplexing as well."

I pondered it. Could this person somehow be connected with Edward's investigation? They had to have lost a lot of money, enough to hurt if they were threatening legal action. But could it be more than that? Would they try to come after us personally as well?

"I think if you do find anything out you should pass it on to Garrett." I finally stated.

I looked at my watch and knew I needed to get going. After a few more minutes talking about the kids and how I was doing, I got up to leave.

"Please let us know if we can do anything. We're more than happy to come over and stay with you some evening." Esme said as she gave me a hug.

"Thanks Esme, I appreciate it. We'll see you at the house for Christmas for sure though."

"I can't wait. I have a few special things for the kids."

As I bid them good-bye and rode the elevator down to my car, I gave my thanks to the agents who were waiting next to it. Then I took off for Santi's gym, ready to take my frustration out in a totally different way.

I felt like I was on the cusp of something, thought I didn't know what "it" was. But something was coming, and I hoped I would be able to endure it.

 *** &^%$#**

 **A/N:**

So the songs set the feel of the chapter and sometimes I also like to use bits and pieces from them. Hope that gives some insight, but should be some indication as to how the chapter may go as well.

Thanks for all of the support and reviews. I truly am so appreciative of all of your kinds words even though I often don't have time to respond. Until next time.

~AMJ


	17. Chapter 16- Ties

**Chapter Sixteen: Ties**

" _ **Sympathy for the Devil" by Guns N Roses**_

 _ **~Agent Cullen~**_

The light woke me before the headache that was stomping through my brain.

I had taken a train, a plane, a bus and finally rented a motorcycle in Naples to get to the place I was staying. Now I had a pounding headache from the lack of sleep, the multiple forms of transportation I had taken over the last two days, and the sparring I had done at the small boxing joint down the street the night before.

But I was in Naples. I'd set myself up in a small apartment over a bakery and found a good spot for my stash down the street.

Biers was likely nearby, but we weren't meeting up yet. He was only here to case Zoraida and I wasn't prepared to bring him in underground as an associate because I wasn't sure who was here yet. Instead, during my travels I had concocted a plan.

I was going to go in as an assassin, but if someone recognized me as me, then I would be myself, but with a new spin. To address the concerns over being FBI and someone knowing that, I was going to be a disgruntled former agent. I was still an assassin for hire, but I wasn't bought or paid by anyone unless it was of my own volition.

It was plausible, because no one else had been at my grandfather's takedown except for my fellow agents, Bella and a handful of dead Dracs.

I'd spun the story in my head multiple times thinking of my plan.

 _How did I get out of Brazil?_

 _How did I get out of Romania?_

 _What had I been doing for the last four years?_

And if someone did know I was FBI, I would act as if I was all in, as if I was double-crossing the FBI because they had ultimately hurt my family.

The problem was: I still didn't know who was calling the shots and how much they might know about me. So I had to tread lightly. I'd had different covers in Brazil, Spain, Romania and the States. But that wasn't unlike a lot of the assasins for hire that operate in the underground. They didn't really think my name was Emil, or Gabe or Sonny.

From what Biers had told me in Spain, he'd found a few hangouts in Naples that a few of the lower level Jaguars went to. One was a club—of course—as they were dark and dirty and easy to hide things. But another was a restaurant with a little back room and a grocery attached, an easy way to run through merchandise of many types. Finally one was a boxing joint- the same boxing joint I had gone to.

Jaguars, at least that's what I assumed they were. At this point, I knew Zoraida was calling a lot of the shots. So Jags it was for now. But I also knew there were a few of the old Mancini personnel still hanging around and I was going to research any connection with Bella's family while I was in Italy.

I rolled over onto my side, blinking at the light now streaming in the window. I swung my legs over the edge of the bed and rubbed at my shoulder and neck working out the kinks. My body definitely felt the effects of my workouts the last few days. But I had to keep my physical shape up in the event that I needed to get out of a bind.

As I dressed and readied for the day I looked in the mirror. I pressed my hand across the sun on my chest and the writing next to it. Mijn Zon, Mijn Zoon, and Mijn Dochter were right there with me. For some reason the morning was the hardest. I would think about their laughter, Eric's messy face after eating pancakes and his giggles as I chased him around the house. I thought of Lucy's gurgled smiles and the way her eyes would follow me no matter where I was at.

Then I thought of Bella and a pang went through me as I stared in the mirror. The face was different, my hair now longer, blond, with a full beard to match, and my blue contacts staring back at me. But the most different thing was the person on the inside. It was a startling contrast to the one that was on assignment in Europe the last time.

My eyes traveled to my ink one more time, before I opened the medicine cabinet to put away my toothbrush and then shut it and looked away. It was only these few minutes of the day that I would allow myself. It was all I could allow myself and then I had to get back to the task.

Back to the mission.

Back to ending all of it so that I could go home and be free.

*&^%$#

For the next two days I laid low and cased the neighborhood I was in and the places Biers had told me about. I was only a few blocks from the rundown building Biers mentioned and as soon as I saw it, I knew what it was.

It was the old shoe factory that Franco Mancini owned—the one Liona spoke of in her diaries. I proceeded to find her childhood home, Franco's home, and the church she grew up in.

It was when I went into the church to look at some birth records that something struck me. In Liona's diaries she always mentioned that she had four sisters and two brothers. But when I looked through the birth records in the church I found another brother, but by a different woman. The little boy wasn't born until 1960.

Lazzaro Mancini.

Father: Franco Mancini

Mother: Frederica

The mother listed had no last name. It was quite odd, because the birth and wedding records in these old churches were usually surprisingly accurate.

I searched more and couldn't find a birth record for a Frederica, or a wedding record. Clearly, she wasn't born there and she never married Mancini. The child was likely born out of wedlock, even though he was given Mancini's last name.

It was all quite odd, almost as though they were trying to hide exactly who Frederica was. I tracked the rest of Liona's family. Her four sisters were all married in the church, to names I didn't recognize. Her brother Russo never showed up beyond his birth record, and the other brother died of influenza when he was seven.

But this boy, he had no other records either.

After I'd left the church I'd cased out the market some more. I noticed an older woman with dark black hair coming and going each day at the same times. She would arrive at eight in the morning, to get coffee, tea, bread and cheese for the day. Then she would arrive at four in the afternoon to get meat and vegetables.

But the thing I found interesting about her was that she wasn't just getting enough for one person each day. She was buying enough to feed seemingly ten people.

The second day I decided to follow her. She wound her way at least eight blocks from the market. I stayed back until I saw her go into the same building both times that day.

Later that night I stood outside of her building, waiting in the shadows. I hunkered down in my black leather jacket with a black stocking hat on my head. It was cool at night with the December breeze rolling in off of the water.

In the shadows I watched as four other people came and went from her building. None of them looked suspicious or out of place.

But then around two in the morning, it happened.

Two men stumbled down the block, talking in Italian and cursing under their breaths.

I knew them instantly.

Caius and Marcus.

They stood outside for a good ten minutes, smoking a cigarette and sharing a flask.

"Do you think she knows?" Caius asked at one point.

I strained my ears to hear more and watched as Marcus looked around.

"I don't know. But father will be upset if she goes after her."

"I still don't understand his obsession."

"Enough Caius. She's blood. He's old school. You know what that means."

Caius finished his cigarette and stomped the butt on the sidewalk. I held my breath as he looked around and leaned further into the shadows.

"You think zia Frederica will be upset when we get upstairs?" Caius sighed as he reached for the door and Marcus nodded.

I sucked in a breath at that name.

Zia Frederica.

 _Aunt Frederica._

It couldn't be. The old woman was the one who had the child with Mancini? But she was the Aunt of Caius and Marcus. How? Was she one of Aro's sisters? Or perhaps one of his Uncle's daughters?

I watched as Caius and Marcus opened the door and entered the building. I sunk backwards down the alley where I had been standing. Though it was two in the morning, I had found another strand in this web.

Instead of going back to my apartment I left for my stash. This time I had a secure iPad with a built in secure hotspot with me that would self-destruct if anyone tried to access it other than me. I snuck in and out quietly and found a corner café that was open all night and sat in a corner booth. I ordered an espresso and a roll and searched for something.

But I wasn't sure what yet.

Aro Volturi. His uncles. His cousins. His sister.

Nothing.

Nahuel Garcia.

Nothing.

Johan Baricelli.

And then it clicked.

J. Frederico was Johan's son. But his last name wasn't Baricelli. He went by Johan Frederico. They had to be connected.

As the database ran, I looked around the café noticing that I was one of only a few patrons there.

And then it hit.

Johan Frederico—J. Frederico-born 1970. His mother was listed as Frederica Simòn.

Frederica Simòn.

Next I searched for Lazzaro Mancini, but to no avail. Nothing at all came up on Lazzaro.

Apparently she never married Mancini, because as I searched the registry and data there was no mention of her changing her name. She had resided in Naples since 1958. She was nearly 80 now, but at some point she had birthed a son fathered by Mancini and then another son fathered by Johan, but she never gave either of them their father's names, at least not legally. The church record differed apparently.

I closed down the iPad and took it back to my apartment with me. It was nearly four in the morning, but I was wired from my espresso and paced about.

I thought back on Liona's journals, mapping out the connections in my head again. Clearly Liona wouldn't have known about Lazzaro as she was already in the States. But her father had been a head of the underworld and was supremely connected.

Pacing, pacing, pacing until I stopped.

I quickly fired up the iPad again, the anticipation nearly killing me as I cleared the security fields.

Hurriedly I put in another name, looking for known and potential matches.

And there it was.

Seraphina Simòn. Aro Volturi's second wife was Frederica's sister.

Zia Frederica was Caius and Marcus' aunt.

Caius and Marcus were cousins with J. Frederico. I pulled up J. Frederico's file again and looked through the potential connections, when something caught my eye.

Zoraida.

Zoraida _Simòn_. Born in 1972.

 _No known connections, but suspected half-sister._

The words jumped out at me from the database. But my head was spinning.

Johan had not been her lover; he was her father. Though in the underworld it was not uncommon to have the type of May to December matches that they had appeared to be. But that wasn't the case, Johan and Frederica had two children, J. and Zoraida.

 _Fuck._

I scrubbed my hands down my face, trying to figure it out. Why would they have different names? Did Johan insist that his son have his name but then disavow a potential daughter or did they do it on purpose? Were they trying to cover something up? And why would J. Frederico disavow Johan and his mother?

I thought back on what Claire told Bella, not to believe that he was connected. Was it possible he was clean and just an art dealer? No way.

Then something else occurred to me? Lazzaro. Did Frederica change his name?

I quickly typed in the name Lazzaro Frederico, but nothing came up.

Then I typed in Lazzaro Simòn.

 _Clearance not accepted._

What the fuck?

I had very high security clearance within the FBI, how could it not be accepted?

I tried again.

 _Clearance not accepted._

I stared at my screen, my eyes wide with surprise.

 _Who the fuck was Lazzaro Simòn?_

*&^%$#

Six hours later I returned from a run after sleeping fitfully for only four hours. I knew I was on the cusp of it. Whoever Lazzaro Simòn was, his file had been buried and he was of such importance that it wasn't available to even me.

I decided it was time. I needed to make contact and see for myself who was involved. Biers would be meeting me that day to get up to speed, but we were still going in separately for now.

After a quick shower, I died my hair and beard again. My beard was long after weeks of growth. I wondered what Bella would think of it.

Bella.

I allowed myself my ten minutes to think of her. What would she and the kids be doing right now? They were likely just waking up, just starting their days.

She was probably getting dressed in something understatedly sexy, something she wouldn't even realize would make all of the men, and women for that matter, turn their heads as she walked by. The kids were probably eating breakfast, little Lucy having her bottle as Eric prattled about his upcoming day with June.

Pangs crept across my chest and I pushed on my heart to push them away.

The face staring back at me wasn't me and wasn't theirs. It was _him_.

I knew soon enough, he was going to have to come out to play and I dreaded it. I only hoped he didn't take me down with him.

*&^%$#

"Buona sera amico, sono qui per affair." I said quietly to the bouncer and flashed him the two hundred American in my hand.

He nodded and discreetly pocketed the money as he lifted the velvet rope.

 _Time to get your game face on Cullen._

Biers would be coming later, but I wanted to make sure we weren't together and we didn't show up remotely at the same time. He was even getting a few girls from the street to come in with him.

The club was already hopping, though it was relatively early in the evening. I strode up to the bar and gave my best smirk to the female bartender.

"Sei troppo bello per essere in un posto come questo?" She said.

 _You look too good to be in a place like this._

"E tu sei troppo bello per essere dietro al bancone?"

 _And you look too good to be behind the bar._

She quirked an eyebrow at me and asked me what I wanted in English and I responded in kind.

"Vodka Martini with two olives."

She nodded and walked away. I watched as she mixed the drink, making sure it was clean and turned to look over my shoulder to scope out the place. I'd positioned myself so that I could see the entire room, but I was toward the end of the bar where I could easily make an escape if I had to.

The dance floor was vibrating, the bodies gyrating against one another and I sipped my martini as I watched and waited.

With my vision I could see the dark cornered tables where the lines weren't even well hidden. There were the girls who were much too young to be in a place like this; the men who were much too old. At the back was a spiral staircase to the balcony that looked over the dance floor. The velvet booths that lined the entire upper and lower levels were already full with bottle service for the partiers.

As I turned to set down my drink I felt her. She was young, maybe nineteen, and quite beautiful. I was a man, it wasn't like I didn't notice.

But her eyes told me everything. The hazel rings inside the bloodshot whites told me she was high on something. Her too sweet breath wafted over me as she squeezed her way between me and the bar.

"I've never seen you here before." She smiled sweetly.

"I'm here on business."

"Wanna dance."

I shrugged and followed her out on the floor. From here I could at least see more of the club. I would also look more like I fit in.

 _Even though I didn't as a forty year old, happily married father of two in the middle of a night club dancing with a nineteen year old_.

She ground her body against me and I lightly put my hands on her sides. I didn't want to come off as awkward as I was, but I hadn't danced with anyone but Bella in four years and I before that, I only saw the absolute worst at every club I was in.

Yet I had to act the part.

I moved along with the techno music that was blaring through the nightclub and ground my hips against her back. Though nothing was happening below my belt line as it might have in my younger years.

I continued to dance as I glanced around the club from my vantage point in the middle of the dancefloor. Now that I was out on the floor I could see the area directly above the bar, which was entirely different. That was the true VIP area, with its different lighting and the dark suited men. Gradually I moved her so that we were further on the side of the dance floor.

Just as I focused in on the area upstairs, I saw _her._

With her jet black hair and her lithe movement, she swept her way around the VIP as though she owned the place. And for all I knew she did.

She looked down then, her eyes flashing across the dancefloor and pausing briefly on me. I wasn't quite ready to deal with her yet, so I turned the girl and buried my hands in her hair and tucked my head into her shoulder.

The girl felt wrong. She smelled wrong, she looked wrong, she was wrong. But I had to play the part.

So I danced with her and pretended I was into it when my mind was on a million other things. The people upstairs, the connections I'd made, and more importantly how she didn't look, feel, smell, or move like Bella.

Finally the song switched and I kissed her cheek, telling her I needed a drink.

I looked up again, seeing Zoraida talking to a man. She looked angry, and I knew from my past that it was bad to be on the other end of her anger.

The bodies swayed around me and I quickly made my way off the dance floor before ordering a shot and a beer. I couldn't force this, but I also didn't have time to wait around for something to happen.

Before I could think much more about it, I downed my shot and chased it with the beer. I didn't want to be drunk but I needed to take some edge off.

I turned to look behind the bar, knowing that there was usually a back way up to those types of VIP areas. They weren't for the regulars, the little rich kids who just wanted bottle service and to get off on being able to get it.

No, this was for the serious business that went down under the cover of the night and the club ambiance.

I strode down the hallway to the back when I noticed the crack with the red light peering between the doorframes. I pushed on the door and found the stairwell, the sound of the music muted and echoing in the hallow cavern. As I ascended the stairs a plan formed.

I knew who was up there, if I gave almost any of the names, I could probably pass entrance. But I needed more of a game plan than that.

When I got to the top where the large guard stood, I straightened my back and walked up to him.

"Password?" He asked in Italian and I went with the first thing that came to mind.

"Giaguaro."

He nodded and let me pass.

I took a deep breath as I passed him and ran my hand over my beard and through my hair before entering the VIP area. I steered clear of where I last saw Zoraida. Instead I turned from the dance floor, toward the back and away from the railing.

That's when I saw them, and I knew I had to make my contact, my entrance.

Caius and Marcus were sitting at a table in the back. For all of the times they had seen me, I always looked different and it was always in a cover situation. I had never seen them as myself. The only wild card would be what they knew of me from their father. But I'd kept my picture out of the paper and kept my profile low considering everything that went down with my family. It had been one of the recommendations of the FBI after I told them I was done in the field. My father was the face of our family and I didn't put anything out there. I didn't have a single social media account or any pictures since college posted online.

Hence my ability to be a chameleon and work my way into different covers and become different people all over the world.

I sat down at a table next to Caius and Marcus and listened in on their discussion while looking around the VIP. I saw a few low level Dracs and a couple other guys I recognized from my previous missions.

Marcus looked uneasy as he sat back and sipped his drink. He had always been the more level-headed one of the two. Caius seemed less phased by being here.

Which automatically made me stop.

Why would Marcus be uneasy? If they were part of this operation, then nothing about it should be uneasy.

I filed that away for later as I sat back and sipped.

I just watched. And waited. And listened.

"I don't like it at all. What's the point?"

"You know what he said. We have to just be patient and he will take care of it?"

"I don't know how, he's a fucking old man. What does he know about today's trade?" Marcus shook his head.

"He may not understand the Lithium, but he gets the rest of it."

Caius lit up a cigarette and I knew that was my chance.

"Hey buddy." I said in Italian. "Can I bum a smoke?"

He looked at me peculiarly and then nodded.

"Do I know you from somewhere?" he asked.

I shrugged. "Maybe. Maybe not." I smirked and took a hit off the cigarette.

I turned just enough to let them think and then flagged down a waitress to order my own bottle service.

"Wait, I do know you from somewhere. You were in on the shit in New York. Man I figured you were taken out with the rest of them." Marcus said.

"I'm too good for that." I said just cocky enough so that they would know not to fuck with me.

"What are you doing here then?" Caius gave me a strange look and I motioned to join them.

"Business. Same as you probably." They gave each other another glance before nodding and I sat down as nonchalantly as possible.

"What's your business exactly?" Caius asked then.

"You know _my_ business. I don't care about merchandise." I smirked darkly.

 _Time to bring him out to play._

Silence crept over us as I made myself a drink. I didn't want anyone slipping me anything. Biers was likely here by now, probably downstairs, but I stayed planted in my spot. I looked around the room, pretending as though I as comfortable as could be.

Quite the opposite, adrenaline was coursing through my veins and I was doing everything in my power not to jiggle my knee or give away anything.

I saw Caius and Marcus communicating silently with one another until Marcus cleared his throat.

"So you don't work for anyone?" He asked strangely.

"No. I'm only for hire."

"No loyalties?"

I shook my head and sipped my drink.

"You're the best right?" Marcus asked then.

"So they say." I shrugged.

Marcus looked at Caius again and I saw him nod before he continued. "Maybe you could help us out with something then?" He said barely above a whisper and looked around as if to make sure no one heard him.

I raised my eyebrow at him. "I'm interested. But it depends on the cash."

His eyes danced across the room as he lowered his voice again. "The cash wouldn't be the problem. It would be getting to errr—the target." He said quickly.

"Never been a problem before." I offered.

He started to speak again but then snapped back.

I didn't have to look up to know who was coming. The hair on the back of my neck stood up and my skin prickled as I reached for my drink.

"Caius, I don't believe I know your friend." She saddled up to our table and proceeded to put her hand on his shoulder.

Maybe I was reading something into it, but he cringed away.

"I don't believe so Z. This is…I'm sorry. I don't know your name?" Caius looked at me strangely as if he was putting together that I had multiple names.

I took it as my opening and offered her my hand. "Sonny. And you are?"

She eyed me peculiarly, surely trying to place me. But it had been over ten years, twenty-five pounds of muscle and an entirely new face—wrinkles included.

"Z." She gave me a slow smile and I held her hand longer than I wanted to before pulling away.

"Are you sure we haven't met before?" She said then.

"Pretty sure you would have remembered me." I said cockily, and left it to her own imagination.

"Do you only work in Europe?" She asked.

I shrugged. "I work where I get paid."

She nodded then, still studying me and I proceeded to make myself another drink.

Finally she pulled her eyes from my seemingly disinterested face and spoke to Marcus. "I need to have a word with you." She glanced at me. "Privately."

I shrugged and smirked at her. "I've kept worse secrets sweetheart. Say what you need to say."

Her eyes shot me daggers as I sipped my drink. She hated being called "sweetheart" and I knew that, but I couldn't help but poke the bear a bit.

"What is it exactly you do, _Sonny_?" She emphasized with a bite.

"A little of this, a little of that." I leaned back and crossed my legs, throwing my arms over the bench behind me. Her eyes scanned my body and I could tell she liked what she saw, but there was no way she was coming near me this time.

I shuddered at the thought.

Zoraida was a beautiful woman—that was undeniable. But as I knew all too well, she was also one of the coldest, most ruthless and most vindictive people I had ever met. She rivaled my grandfather and that alone set her apart from even some of the most feared sociopaths in the world.

After a moment, she came over to join me on the couch and put her hand on my leg, her attitude toward me seemingly changed, or maybe it was just her method. Her blood red nails scratched along my pants and I had to fight the urge to kick my leg away, but it remained.

 _Nonchalant Cullen._

"Are you in a trade?" She asked as she circled her finger over a spot right above my knee.

"Of sorts." I replied, acting unaffected though I wanted to squirm away.

"Girls?" She questioned and then lifted her hand to tap her fingers to her lips. "No that can't be right, a man like you wouldn't care about the girls. You can have anyone you want can't you?"

Her black eyes roamed my face and my body and I sat stock still as she thought.

"It can't be drugs either, because you're neither high nor strung out. And every drug runner I know has their own nasty little side habit to go with their business." She continued to tap.

"One of the bigger trades perhaps?" Her eyes flashed. "No, you're too dark for the jewels. Maybe it's the compounds you're after."

I shrugged and took another sip of my drink. "I can't tell you sweetheart, because then I'd have to kill you." I looked at her seriously then, my tone changing and she sat back with an "o" on her face.

"Ah yes, _un uomo che scompare_...I've known a few of those in my time."

 _Yes you have, and I'm sure one of them was another version of me._

"More like a _un uomo che fa sparire le cose_?" I responded.

She raised an eyebrow at me, but didn't say another word. Instead she got up to go talk to someone else.

I glanced at Caius and Marcus, who were studying me intently.

"Do you know her?" Caius finally asked suspiciously.

"Sort of." I responded. I surely wasn't going to give anything up to them. But I leaned forward hoping to get more information. "But I understand she may be working her way up now."

"Up?" He scoffs. "She's more than up and has been for a while."

"So enlighten me, how do I need to get in with her organization."

"You already are, _Sonny_. By virtue of who you are."

"How so?"

"You're here and you're not dead yet?" He shrugged and a chill ran down my spine.

I looked over at Zoraida and then back at him and nodded.

"I better call it a night. But if you gentlemen want my help, I'll be back tomorrow." I finally said and headed out.

I saw Biers dancing with two girls and made eye contact with him, letting him know I was leaving.

As I meandered back to my apartment, careful to crisscross my route a few times I thought about what he said.

It seemed as though I was in based purely off of who I was previously. Clearly Caius and Marcus didn't know my real identity, and so far Zoraida didn't remember me. But I had to be prepared for when that might change.

Something was off, I could feel it, and I needed to figure it out soon.

*&^%$#

A week later and several more nights at the club I was starting to piece together a few more things.

I'd received word via a secure connection that Liam and Seth were still a week out, following up on a lead in Switzerland. But they had found out about a few things. Lithium was the true trade and was being exported through southern Europe and abroad at massive rates. It made sense with the way technology was moving and everyone had handheld computers—their phones—at their disposal at all times and places.

I'd also found out through some drunken chatter with Caius and Marcus that at some point, Mancini had double crossed Johan. Mancini's organization had all been dismantled when he died, but the few remaining were slowly taken out.

That's where Kebi came in. Zoraida not only killed him because he was involved with my grandfather, but he had been one of the original contacts for Mancinci. I could only assume that since he wronged her father that she took him out as well.

Then the FBI took out Johan.

Or did they? It was that thought I was stuck on. Was it as simple as a lot of double crossing between the original five players—Mancini, Volturi, Nahuel, Johan and my grandfather.

Or was it something greater than that?

As I readied for the club again, I ran gel through my hair and looked at the dark man in the mirror.

It had officially been over a month since I'd left, and the following week was Christmas. I knew in the scheme of things I hadn't been under long. But with my previous connections the mission had moved faster.

Just not fast enough. I wanted to be home, with my wife and kids, reveling in their joy as they opened their Christmas presents. I wanted to play with my son. I wanted to snuggle with my baby girl who was surely changing so much every day. I _wanted_ Mijn Vrouw.

Instead, I was going to a dirty club on the other side of the world to try to protect them.

From what, I didn't exactly know yet. But I was frustrated by the prospect of how much longer I might be here.

Biers was still tailing Zoraida and found that she regularly met with a number of personnel in Naples. It appeared they were readying for another big shipment and had a connection in the States to receive it.

As I entered the club an hour later, something felt different. There were new faces that I hadn't seen at this particular club and a dark undercurrent to the evening already.

I found my regular table, ordered up a bottle and sat back and waited.

Soon enough she sought me out, but this time with a much different agenda than her dark flirting of the previous few times.

"I have a request for you. Come." She motioned to me and I grabbed my drink to follow her down a hallway to the back. I immediately watched my surroundings and checked the weight of the knife on my leg and the gun in my holster.

It was a dark room, with only a red light and a desk. Two bookshelves with seemingly nondescript books lined the wall. I eyed the surroundings, curious if there was another exit, betting there probably was, as she turned and grabbed a folder.

"I have a job for you." She handed me the folder and before I opened it, I looked at her intently.

"How much?" I quirked my eyebrow.

She stepped forward, her gaze penetrating me as if to test my will.

She leaned in then, putting her hand on my chest and playing with the lapel of my jacket. Her fingernails scraped down my chest and I swallowed, trying to act turned on, but feeling sick at having her so close again.

"I was actually thinking it would be a favor." She whispered. "I believe you owe me."

"How do you figure?" I challenged.

"I'm letting you in. You haven't been vetted. You're a smooth operator and I know your kind. But I need someone like you. So give me one kill and prove you're worthy." She hummed as she trailed her hand down my chest.

"Or, you could prove yourself in another way." She backed up then and sat on the desk, pulling her skirt up to her hips so that I could see she had nothing underneath of it.

I swallowed, pretending to be intrigued by the offer and struggling to say no, when really I was pushing the bile back down my throat. How I ever found this woman attractive was beyond me.

Instead I walked forward and leaned over her, pretending to go for her neck. But without even touching her I got as close as possible and whispered in her ear.

"I don't mix business with pleasure." I knew denying her was a huge risk, but there was no fucking way I was cheating on Mijn Vrouw with this… _viper_.

I stepped back and her eyes flashed with fury. But she quickly recovered from being turned down and grabbed the folder.

"Fine. Then take care of this problem for me and then maybe I'll let you stick around."

"I don't think that will be an issue. I think you need me more than I need you." I let that double meaning hang out there and she pursed her lips.

I quickly opened the folder to see who the target was and had to grip the page as the picture of the man stared back at me.

 _Fuck, fuck, fuck._

I sucked in my breath, forcing myself to let it out slowly so as to not give anything away. But my mind was racing with the sight before me.

 _What the fuck was I going to do?_

I couldn't do _that._

The person in the picture was Biers. He was the target.

I was in a fuck of a predicament and I had to think fast about how to handle it. The entire situation had just turned on its head.

But I coolly looked at her as I closed the folder and handed it back.

"Don't you need to take it with you?" She quirked her eyebrow.

"No." I said sternly. "Is that all?"

"Yes." She said smoothly, as if ordering a hit on someone was a common day occurrence, and walked behind the desk as I turned to leave.

But I paused at the door, needing to know how much time I had.

"When?" I asked.

"Tomorrow. I don't know who he is, or why he's following me, but I don't care. I don't want any complications."

 _Fuck._

Yet I just nodded and proceeded to open the door and sneak a peek at her before closing it behind me.

As the door closed, I could make out the faint hint of a smirk on her face and I knew I was in trouble.

Either she knew we were FBI or she at least knew Biers and I were connected. But one thing was for certain, I was going to have to find a way out of this quandary and soon.

 *** &^%$#**

 **A/N:**

I imagine Edward's cover look as similar to Rob Pattinson's look for the "Lost City of Z" but blonder. Really long beard, scraggly hair and blonder.

Buona sera amico, sono qui per affair = Good evening friend, I'm here for business

Giaguaro= Jaguar

un uomo che scompare = a disappearing man

un uomo che fa sparire le cose = a man who makes things disappear

P.S. I'm going on vacation, so it might be a couple weeks for the next one, but I will be back. Thanks so much for reading!

~AMJ


	18. Chapter 17- Binds

_**Chapter Seventeen: Binds**_

" _ **Enter Sandman" by Metallica**_

 _ **~Bella Cullen~**_

" _The fallout after Jan Cullen's death and the demise of Cullen Enterprises is still being determined. The real question is, what was Edward Cullen's involvement with his grandfather's organization? Are the Cullens as innocent as they would like everyone to believe? Or is one of New York's most prestigious families truly at work with one of the most notorious gangsters of the twentieth century? Does blood bind and tie in this case as well? "_

" _The Cullen family would not provide comment for this article."_

"You have to be kidding me right? I mean you seriously have to be fucking kidding me? Do they know what my brother—what both of my brothers—have given up for this country?" Alice screeched into the phone as she relayed the article to me.

"I know Al, I know. It was like stopping a runaway train. There was nothing any of us could do about it." I sighed. My word choice was not lost on me as I looked across my kitchen to my children eating their breakfast.

A runaway train is that what this entire situation amounted to? Maybe the man on the beach was right.

"Why don't you come over tonight? In fact, I will see if Garrett can join us as well. I think it's time we all sit down and discuss this."

"I think that's a good idea. Until then, I'm contacting our lawyer. I'm sure Mom and Dad will do the same, but I want to look into suing the Post for slander."

I could tell Alice was pissed. It took a lot to get her truly mad about something, but with the protection we were all under and the stress of being watched and covered, anyone was likely to break.

"Sounds good. I'll order us some food and see you all at 6."

"Ok. Bye Bella." I heard her grumbling on the other end and I couldn't help but agree with her. As soon as I woke up that morning I had nearly thirty texts from friends and family about the article.

Thank God I wasn't going in to work that day as I would surely have a hundred reporters to deal with as well.

I was working from home, as it was only one more day until the Christmas holiday and then I would be off for two weeks. Luckily I had built up enough vacation time over the years that I could take an extended break.

June was still coming over to watch the kids and I would hole up in our study for four or five hours to get everything set for my time off. Our major fundraising event was over, and from a department perspective we wouldn't have much going again until the middle of January when we would prepare for our winter gala.

After June arrived, I kissed the kids and took my laptop to the study and worked through a few emails. But my mind wandered as I thought about the article, and the insane accusations that Maggie made.

The problem was, there wasn't anything to dispute a lot of it.

I was Aro Volturi's granddaughter.

Edward was Jan Cullen's grandson.

On paper it didn't look good. It didn't look good at all.

Knowing that Garrett was probably in the office by now, I decided to give him a call.

"Federal Bureau of Investigation, Anna speaking."

"Hi Anna, it's Bella Cullen. Can you connect me with Agent Morgan please?"

"Agent Morgan is out on assignment this morning Bella, but I can leave him a message."

 _That was odd, I thought Garrett was done with field work._

"No message, just tell him to give me a call when he gets back in."

"I sure will."

"Thanks Anna."

I hit end on my phone and stared at it for a minute before dialing another number.

Strangely I got a similar response from the receptionist at my father's precinct.

Then when I tried Emmett's cell it went to voicemail as well.

Something was up. I could feel it. Maybe it was the uneasiness that the article gave me or maybe something broke because of it, but I had a suspicion that wherever Garret was, Emmett and my father were there as well.

I leaned back and crossed my arms, staring at the computer screen before me. I felt helpless.

And I hated it.

I hated being in the dark.

Suddenly I was hit with a sense of resolve. I needed to finally do something about it. If I was going to be accused of something in the papers then it was high-time I have a chance to stand up for myself and not be in the dark anymore.

There was only one person who I could get answers from at this point.

Only one person that I could think of that could help connect these dots.

In a movement, I was up and out of my desk and out the door of the office. I quickly went to my bedroom and tossed on a black blazer and jeans and put on some makeup. I brushed out my hair and took a deep breath as I looked in the mirror, steeling my resolve.

I hurried downstairs, not sure how I was going to do this, but a plan somewhat forming in my head.

"June. I need to go out. I'm not sure when I'll be back, but it should be this afternoon."

"Okay Bella." She looked at me perplexed as I kissed the kids and hurried out the door.

Now I just had to convince the agents who were on guard.

"Agent Dabrowski. I'm going out, feel free to follow me."

He jumped up from his post in the garage and quickly walked over. "Mrs. Cullen, I can't let you do that, I haven't cleared any outings for you today."

"I don't care. I have a house call to make. Surely you know where Aro Volturi is staying?"

Maggie's article had said he jumped parole. But I was suspicious of that, because in all of my meetings with Garrett and my father and other agents, I never heard a word about that. I had a sneaking suspicion that he was merely laying low and the FBI knew that and were fine with it because they were keeping tabs on him. My first guess was the Park Central where Edward had his now infamous meeting with him just a few short months ago.

"Agent Dabrowski. I can ask you again, or I can get in my car and start driving. It's up to you."

"But…you can't…Mrs. Cullen!" He exclaimed and quickly grabbed his phone, his eyes bulging out of his head.

"You won't get SA Morgan because he's on assignment, and I think you know that. Now either you can take me to him, or I will walk there if I have to. Now how would you like to explain that to SA Morgan or my husband when he gets back?" I cocked my eyebrow at him in challenge.

"Your husband will kill me either way." He muttered.

"Aro Volturi is not going to do anything to _me_ , and I think you very well know that." I crossed my arms and stared him down, hoping like hell this would work.

Then I started walking.

"Mrs. Cullen. Goddamnit. Fine. Get in the car." He sighed, and I smirked to myself as I changed direction.

I hopped in the passenger side of our Range Rover and Agent Dabrowski got in to drive.

"I'm calling in backup if you're going to do this, so you're gonna have to wait a minute." He spat, clearly mad that I had worked him into this position.

"I'll make sure you don't get fired, if that's what you're worried about."

"Well that's not what I'm worried about…" He muttered again.

Yes, Edward would surely have his head if he was here.

But he wasn't here, and I was tired of waiting around for things to happen.

After ten minutes, Agent Dabrowski had two more agents following us and two new agents at our home.

He pulled out of the garage and made the short trek to the Park Central. All the while I breathed deeply and thought about what I was going to say.

I hated this man. I hated everything about him—what he stood for, what he did, who he was, and most importantly all of the ways he had hurt my grandmother.

But I had thought long and hard about it and I didn't think he was the one after us. I think he knew who was, or who might be, but I didn't think it was him.

I also knew I might have an upper hand.

I was his granddaughter, and that meant something in old school Italian mob.

More importantly, I looked exactly like my grandmother, and I knew I could use that to my advantage.

The car screeched to a halt in front of the hotel and I took a deep breath.

"Are you sure you want to do this? What could you even want to say to that scumbag?" Agent Dabrowski asked then.

I sighed as I looked out the window at the park. The park I used to run through on a regular basis, take my kids and play, where I couldn't go now because I was under constant surveillance.

And I hated it.

"Agent Dabrowski do you have a family?" I finally said.

"No Ma'am."

"Well one day, when you have a family, you will understand that you will do anything physically and otherwise possible to protect them. I need some answers, and this is one of the only ways I can think of to get some."

He nodded then and got out of the car. He quickly told the valet that my car and the unmarked one with us were just going to have to sit there for a moment because they was a part of a police investigation. After showing his badge and the valet nodding, I followed him inside.

I marched up to the desk, asked to speak with Mr. Volturi and the receptionist's eyes widened.

"Listen. I think if you call him and tell him who's here, I can guarantee he will come down. I think you know who he is, even if he's staying under another name." I said pointedly.

"Okay, who may I ask wants to see him?"

"Bella Cullen." I replied. I saw her eyes widen and glanced down at the copy of the Post sitting on the desk.

She dialed up his room and I could hear the question in his voice on the other end.

Strangely, I wasn't nervous. I wasn't anxious. If anything I was ready to finally see him face to face.

Perhaps I needed to do this for reasons other than Edward or the mission. Maybe this was some type of closure I needed, both for me and my grandmother.

"He will be right down. He requested that we have a private room." She said with shock in her voice.

"That would be a good idea."

"Follow me." She nodded and I saw her steps falter as I started to follow along with the three agents carrying FBI issued guns openly in their holsters.

I was sure he would come with protection as well, so I couldn't be too careful.

"You can use this meeting room. We don't have anything booked in it for the entire day. Can I…" she stuttered, seemingly flustered by the situation, "can I get you anything?"

"Water would be good." I answered blankly and then stepped into the room.

I took in the dark wood and the plush chairs around the meeting table, but I didn't sit. Instead I walked to the other end of the room and put my purse on a chair next to the head of the table. I remained standing and then paced as I thought about what I was going to say.

The agents were standing guard outside and I jumped as the door opened, only to see that it was the receptionist with a tray. She set down the water and I quickly poured a glass and then turned to set it on the table at the head of the room.

I swallowed it down and as I set the glass back on the tray I heard the door open and the entire feel of the room shifted.

Instantly, I was hot. I was angry. I was disgusted. But I was determined and amazingly I wasn't afraid.

I crossed my arms and stared at the wall as I heard him take a few steps closer, though I could tell he was still on the other side of the table.

My heart was racing in my chest, but I took a deep breath and slowly turned around.

His breath caught and his hands clenched at his sides as he looked at me.

My eyes met steely black ones and I took in his haggard appearance. The pictures in the paper were several years old and from when he was still living the high life as the Don in his organization. But the old man before me didn't look nearly as threatening as the image I had pictured in my head.

He was frail, with greasy gray hair that barely covered his head. His skin was ashened due to years of smoking and of course several years in prison. His suit hung off of his frame. Though it was likely once an expensively tailored suit that fit him perfectly, now it looked like something made for someone else, someone much greater than the washed up man before me.

But those black eyes stared through me like nothing I had ever seen before. He looked like he had seen a ghost, and I knew why he felt that way.

I hadn't picked the blazer by accident. My grandmother often wore a black blazer, though hers was Chanel and likely bought by him.

Her hair was long and wavy like mine and nearly the exact same color.

And we had the same soulful dark brown eyes that were now staring back at him.

We stood there, looking at each other for, I wasn't even sure how long, until he finally spoke.

"Isabella…" he murmured. I was unsurprised he used my Italian name.

"Aro." I would never call him grandfather. I could never see him in that way.

"You are…well…I can't even put words to what I am thinking at the moment." He offered.

I stood locked in my stance across the table from him. I didn't care how long this took, but I wanted some answers.

"I don't think you want the words for what I'm thinking at the moment." I said instead.

He frowned, but then looked at the table between us and moved to sit down.

"May I." He asked as he gingerly sat. I could tell he was frail, maybe even sick. But I had no empathy for the man before me and merely shrugged as he took his seat.

He crossed his hands in front of him and looked up at me again. His eyes searching my face as he studied me.

"It really is amazing, how extraordinarily similar you look to her." He finally said. "I've seen pictures over the years, obviously, but they never did you justice, just as none ever did her justice either." He sighed.

My jaw clenched as I took in his words. He had to start there of course.

"I'm not here to talk to you about her." I finally said.

"I suspected you weren't. All the same." He swallowed as his eyes continued to burn through my skin.

I sat down across from him and matched his position.

"I need information. And I think you have it."

"Now that, I have a lot of. But you'll need to be more specific."

Where to start? I pondered, and without thinking I went straight to the core of it.

"What do you know about Zoraida?"

Aro leaned back and his eyes flashed as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"How do _you_ know about her?" He asked carefully.

"I asked you the question." I shot back.

He glanced around the room, seemingly thinking about what he could say.

"She's dangerous. She's the reason I am where I am now."

My eyebrows rose at his response. So she somehow had a hand in taking him down? That was interesting. Or maybe he meant something else by that?

"Where are your sons?" I asked instead.

He smirked. "You get right to the point don't you?" He chuckled then. "You have your grandmother's fiery personality as well. I can see it, your eyes flash in the same manner and you don't mince your words."

I ground my teeth in an effort not to respond with something harsh. "Your sons?" I insisted.

"They are…on an assignment of their own you could call it." He stated carefully.

"Where?"

"That I can't tell you. For your own benefit." He said blankly.

He leaned forward then and sighed as he crossed his hands. I could tell he was putting his words together in his head.

Finally he looked up at me, with almost sadness in his eyes before he began. "I'm not sure what you think of me. Well actually I have an idea. But I want you to know that nothing will come from me. You can be sure of that. Your husband has some misconceptions about me and I can't blame him. In another time, and in another circumstance, I would probably feel the same way about him."

"But I can assure you," he continued, "that anything that has happened has not come from me."

I had so many questions, so many thoughts about what he said, but the most striking one was that he basically confirmed my theory.

I was protected, at least the kids and I were. Edward might be a different story, but he didn't order the hit on me.

Which meant it was someone else at work that tried to take us out that night on Fifth Avenue.

"So, if what you're saying is true, then everything that has happened is due to someone else?" I questioned.

"I think you're closer than you know. Why else would your husband have gone to Europe?"

"How do you know about that?" I retorted.

"Isabella, I may be many things, but ignorant is not one of them. I stay informed." Aro replied. "And you should continue to do so as well. You may be of greater help than you can know."

I could be of greater help. How? Why?

I thought for a moment as he suddenly began to cough, a deep nasty cough that only years of hardship on your body could cause. When he finally caught his breath, he looked back up at me.

We stared at each other for a moment. I couldn't see this man as the ruthless mobster that he had been made out to be. But I still hated him, and before I could stop myself, I said the only thing I could think of.

"I read her journals… _all_ of them."

His mouth twitched and then he did something that unnerved me: he bit his lip.

Just like I often did when I pondered how to say something.

"Then you probably have all of the answers already Isabella." He offered.

My mind went into overdrive as I thought about his words. Did he know just how much she knew? Maybe that was part of the reason he was so crazed and wanted to find her for so many years.

Regardless, his words meant that the answers were truly at our fingertips and we just had to put it together.

Having nothing else to say to him, I stood up and grabbed my purse. I turned to walk toward the door and then stopped and looked back at him.

"I would say thank you for meeting with me. But I don't owe you anything."

"No you don't. And you never will." He emphasized as he stared back at me.

I nodded then and marched out the door.

As I climbed back in the passenger seat next to Agent Dabrowski and we sped toward home, I kept replaying the conversation over in my head.

"You get what you need." He asked as we pulled into the garage.

"Maybe, just maybe." I sighed, still thinking through all of the connections, my grandmother's journals and everything I learned.

One thing was for certain. It wasn't Aro Volturi after my family, and if anything, we were protected by being his blood, his kin.

So now the question remained, just who was it that wanted us dead.

*&^%$#

 _ **~Agent Cullen~**_

I paced back and forth over the hardwood floor of the flat I was in and racked my brain for how to get out of this situation. What was I going to do? How could I make Biers disappear but not really disappear?

I had to come up with something and fast.

My mind was racing as to ways I could fake his death and show Zoraida, but at the same time I kept thinking about all the connections and possibilities.

Did she know who I was?

Did she know I was FBI? That Biers was FBI?

Or did she really think he was just following her?

I kept going back to what Charles told me in Spain. He thought that perhaps Mancini had double-crossed Johan, and Johan had him taken out. Then that Johan got too powerful, but he was taken out.

The question was by who? And why didn't Zoraida go down at the same time?

Charles always thought there was someone higher, pulling all the strings. Could it be that one person had ordered all of them gone? Why? And who could have enough power to do that?

Even more so, what would their reasoning be?

I paced for another hour until finally a plan formed in my head. I couldn't solve the mission at that moment, but if I wanted to go forward I damn well had to come up with a plan to "get rid of" Biers.

With that I grabbed a hat and a jacket and left the flat. I had to put this together and I had to do it fast, or my mission might very well be sunk.

Even worse, I could be in grave danger.

*&^%$#

"You don't have a choice, you have to go now!" I emphasized to him.

"I can't leave the mission. What would the Bureau say?" Biers pleaded.

"Roger…" I scrubbed my hands down my face and sighed. "Don't you understand? They put a hit on you. You need to leave _now_ , under cover, and get the fuck out of Italy. You need to get back to the States and take a new cover. And I need to fabricate some way to show that you're dead."

I was beyond exasperated. I had come up with a plan and tracked him down that evening. Biers didn't want to leave the mission, but he didn't understand that staying was not an option. He had to go. I had to show that I'd killed him if I had any chance of continuing on and finishing this thing.

My life depended on it. My family's lives depended on it. What the fuck was wrong with him?

"B-I mean Roger…this is not a question or an ask. It's officially an order." I finally said through gritted teeth.

"You can't give me orders _Sonny_. Not here."

"Yes, I can. I outrank you and it's a goddamn order. Now here," I grabbed his duffle and started throwing things in it, "this is what we're going to do."

I had come up with a plan and relayed it to him and told him to throw on the dark hoodie and jeans that I handed to him. I put exact same ones over the clothes I was wearing.

We quietly left the hotel at separate times and then I meandered my way through the streets. I hated this. I hated every part of it, but I couldn't take out an agent.

Earlier that morning I had scoped out a nearby park where a lot of junkies and drug pushers hung out. I finally saw a guy that was passable, had been dealing and using with a few of the others and came up with my plan. It would be easy to kill him, but faking that it was Riley would be the harder part.

I snuck in the park and noticed him with one of the prostitutes, doing a hit of crack. I waited until their drug induced haze came over them and then quietly snuck up behind. The park gave easy cover due to the trees around it and there wouldn't be cameras anywhere.

The chloroform concoction was old school but it still worked like a charm for this type of situation. Once they were both out, I drug them into the woods and I pulled off the matching black hoodie and jeans and quickly put them on the passed out junkie. Then I planted information on him to make it look like Riley.

I waited for Riley to make his approach. Once he arrived, I looked down at the man before me.

Without thinking any further I slit his throat.

I turned to Biers and saw him staring at the man and I told Riley to get in the same position.

Biers looked green as shit, but he hadn't been careful and he got himself into this jam. I swept the blood from the now dripping body with my gloved hands and put it on Riley's neck. I could see him sweating as I covered him with it. Who knew what the junkie had, but we had to take that chance.

Then I quickly took pictures.

As soon as I was finished, Riley shot up and walked away to hurl behind a tree. He came back, pale as a ghost and continued to stare at the man.

"Now get the fuck out of here and don't look back. You lay low; you don't make contact until you're safe in New York. And then you don't fucking come out until this mission is complete. Got it?"

He nodded, his eyes wide as he took off out of the woods.

I cleared the prostitute so she wouldn't be near the scene and then I took off in another direction. As soon as I was a mile away I called in a suspicious siting to the Italian police.

And then I waited. I needed time for the report to come out and hopefully it would be online by the time I went back to the club late that evening.

I could pull the report and give it and the pictures to Zoraida to prove that I had killed him.

He would come up as CIA, but with a different name and background. I couldn't have him tied to the FBI, but I also couldn't take the chance of going too off the path.

Now I just hoped it would work.

*&^%$#

As I donned my black suit, black shirt and glasses I took one last look in the mirror.

Staring back at me was someone I didn't want to know, someone I didn't want to see.

It was _him._ He was there behind the blue contacts, the long hair and the tanned, haunted exterior.

After I'd returned, I got sick as well once it dawned on me just how easily I had slipped back into being that man.

That monster.

That evil.

That assassin.

It was disturbing to be so good at something so terrible. My mind and my body couldn't square the two and as I'd sat on the floor of the shower and let the water overcome me along with the emotion.

I'd taken that junkie's life so easily, like so many others, and I hadn't looked back. I hadn't thought twice about it when I was in the mode of my mission. I'd cleaned up the scene, disposed of the clothes and made it look like a drug hit all too expertly.

But once I was alone and what I'd done settled in, it started to haunt me. He was in there, he was inside of me and I'd let him out so easily. I felt like I was breaking, as though mentally, my personality was splitting and I had no control over it.

Yet I'd drug myself up off the floor of the shower. I pushed those emotions down and instead thought of why I was here. Mijn Zoonie, Mijn Meisje, Mijn Vrouw. All of them. It was the day before Christmas Eve. I should have been home celebrating with them and getting ready for the holiday.

But I was here. And I was stuck like I had never been stuck before on a mission.

I had to sell it tonight. I had to sell it like I hadn't sold anything before. I still wasn't sure if Zoraida knew who Riley actually was and she knew who I was and she was testing me, or if she still thought I was for hire and he was just following her.

Regardless, I had to be ready. I wore the all black because tonight I was packing. I was not only carrying my knife, but I had a few provisions in my breast pocket, a piece on my back and my standard Glock in place. The all black would help give some cover to the extra gear.

It would also help cover up the profuse sweating I was likely to do once I got in the room with her.

With one final deep breath, I reached into my duffle for one last thing.

My wedding ring.

It wasn't my real one—which had an identifying inscription and could be tied back to me. It was one of those rubber ones that I'd bought to wear when I was training.

But it held the same meaning and tonight I wanted it with me.

I put it on my other finger, not wanting to actually wear it as a wedding ring, but have it close to me. I needed a little extra something. I needed Bella with me.

The club was hopping as usual when I got there and I made my way upstairs. I nodded to Caius and Marcus and took my now standard table. I pressed my hand against the manila envelope in my pocket and then waved for the waitress to bring me my standard.

I looked around as I waited. The VIP was strangely busy. I noticed a bunch of guys and women who hadn't been in before and I was instantly on alert. Not that I hadn't been anyhow.

Zoraida wasn't there yet, but a few of her regulars were and I kept an eye on them.

It was then Marcus strode up and sat across from me.

He nodded to my bottle and I shrugged, offering a drink to him if he wished. He filled his glass and swished the ice around before taking down half of it and then looking back at me.

"Word on the street is you took care of some business last night."

"Maybe. Why do you care?" I sipped my drink and stared at him, at the same time noting the new group that had just walked in and looked very out of place.

Yet familiar.

He looked around and glanced at the bar and the door before turning back to me.

"I'm wondering how much she paid you."

"You know I can't tell you that." I smirked. Even though _I_ knew it was free.

Marcus tapped his glass and then lowered his voice. "What if we paid you ten times your standard rate?"

I tried not to snap back at his offer, but it was hard not to, given the amount.

"Now who would be worth that much?"

Marcus started to say something but then he leaned back and took another sip of his drink. I turned and saw her approaching, her long black hair straight as a board and slinking over her tight red dress.

I glanced back to Marcus and saw him swallow, but I could tell he was trying to act nonchalant.

 _Wait, could he mean?_

Before I could process that thought she was at our table and gave me an evil grin.

"Sonny. Do you have a moment?" She tipped her head back and flashed her eyes at me.

"Of course." I filled up my drink and nodded to Marcus before following her.

This time we didn't go to the small back room however, which made me uneasy. I knew my way in and out of the back area, but she was taking me somewhere else.

We walked down the back stairway and then to a connected hallway through a false door that was somewhere between the first and second levels, almost like a Mezzanine level. I hadn't seen it before because the stairwell was so dark.

There I saw two large guards on the other side and another door. I knew by the set up that someone, or something important was on the other side and I tried to act nonchalant as she spoke to them. I looked them both in the eyes, before I passed and followed her through.

As the door closed behind me, I couldn't help but notice that it was eerily quiet in the room and I immediately knew it was sound proofed which put me on edge. I tried not to move but lightly fingered the ring on my right finger as I watched her step over to a large desk.

The room was extravagant, with thick rugs, a large mahogany desk, and dark red tapestries on the wall.

It was also ominous, like the lair of a vampire or Dracula himself.

She leaned back against the desk and crossed her arms in front of her, purposefully pushing her tits up and out.

I glanced, pretending to care so as not to piss her off more, but then looked back at her face.

"Do you have something for me?"

"I do." I answered easily.

I slowly walked over and set down the glass on the other side of her and I could feel her take a deep breath, almost as though she was breathing me in. At the same time, her pungent perfume crept into my nostrils and I had to fight not to turn away.

"Here." I grabbed the manila envelope from my pocket and handed it to her.

I saw her eyes glance at the ring on my finger before smirking and taking the envelope from me.

Then I picked up my glass again and stepped back as slyly as I could.

I turned my back and looked at some of the artwork on the walls while she shuffled through the envelope.

Then suddenly I stopped.

There was a painting on the wall. A well-known painting that I had seen many times in replication.

But this was the original. I knew it was an original because I could tell by the depth of the paint and the age of the frame surrounding it. Being married to someone who worked with art as a living and being an avid follower helped me know that.

But this particular piece, this I knew because I knew who owned the original.

It was an original Salvador Dali, and only a few people in the world could afford to own one of his.

Or would have known him personally to do so.

All of sudden a memory came flooding back to me and the hair on the back of my neck stood up.

My blood ran cold, as cold as the ice my glass.

The same glass that fell from my hand at that moment.

Words from the past came racing back as all of the pieces started to fall together.

Though it wasn't like a puzzle, it was like the glass now shattered at my feet.

" _You know. I picked this little piece up in Spain. A good friend of mine knew a guy…_

" _Did you know the handle is hand-made. It has exceptional balance and sharpness. One of the sharpest knives in the world. You know it's perfect for hunting because it can cut through flesh so easily..._

" _What's the saying? Pot meet kettle. I think that makes me the kettle then…_

" _His son, his lady. You don't want to fuck with that..._

" _I'm serious. You get in and I'll take care of everything else..._

" _Just trust me...But don't get in too deep. Just bring him in and everything else will fall into place..._

" _Because I wanted to see just how far you would go for family. It's the same thing that drives all of us…_

" _Blood."_

Blood.

Blood.

Blood.

The blood now racing through my ears didn't block the sound of the door that opened behind me or his footsteps as he entered the room.

I didn't have to look to see who it was, I knew.

Because it had all been right there from the beginning.

Still, I turned, taking in his long silver hair and the sly, evil smile on his face.

Suddenly, things got blurry and I looked down at the shattered glass at my feet before looking back up at him.

"Edward. So nice of you to join us in Italy. I see you've met…my sister."

Before I could respond, I reached out to grab on to something, but to no avail. The room spun and I dropped to my knees, glass piercing through my suit and my skin.

I looked up at his dark eyes hovering over me.

Then everything went black.

 *** &^%$#**

 **AN:**

Welp- so here we go.

Back at it after vacay and a busy month of work. Won't be as long until the next one. Hold on for the ride.

~AMJ


	19. Chapter 18- Knots

_**Chapter Eighteen: Knots**_

" _ **Hotel California" by The Eagles**_

 _ **~Bella Cullen~**_

"Good morning sweet girl." I lifted Lucy out of her crib as she wiggled and squirmed in my arms. She stared up at me with her doe eyes and gave me a big gummy smile.

I snuggled her close, relishing in her baby scent before putting her on her changing table to get ready. We were heading out to Carlisle and Esme's in the Hamptons to celebrate Christmas with them.

She was four and a half months old and so much fun. I tried to push away the thoughts that her father wouldn't see her on her very first Christmas morning in only a couple of days. But a lone tear trekked down my cheek and landed on her changing pad.

 _He's doing this for you Bella. For all of you._

Though my heart ached for my husband, for their father, I had to remind myself over and over that someday this would all be worth it. Someday I wouldn't feel like a prisoner in my own home. Someday Edward would be back with us and partake in all of our Christmases, Lucy's giggles and cries, and Eric's antics. This was no different than thousands of men and women who served in the armed forces. They were on missions and assignments as well.

I had to be strong. I could do this.

But for just a few minutes in the morning I thought of him, I wallowed in my sadness and in missing him.

Then I locked those thoughts away and put on my big girl panties and went about my day.

Because I had to.

I knew in the back of my mind, this could very well be the new normal. He might not come back and I would be the sole provider for our children. But I didn't dwell on it. I didn't let it consume me.

I carried on.

After getting Lucy dressed in her adorable Christmas outfit and snapping a few pictures that I would show to Edward. I carried her downstairs to warm her bottle and get her fed.

The house was quiet, but not in an eerie way. The tree glowed as I turned on the lights and waited for my storm of a 3 year old to come down the stairs excited to head to Grandma and Grandpa's for the first of three Christmas celebrations. It was December 23rd and we were planning to spend the day at Carlisle and Esme's and then head to my father and Sue's on the afternoon of the 24th and celebrate with the Swan-Clearwater clan that evening. Then on Christmas morning I would do the presents to Eric and Lucy from Edward and me.

Originally just the kids and I were going to Carlisle and Esme's that day as everyone else still had to work. But once the article came out, Alice had texted me that she and Jasper decided to come out a day early as well, and Emmett and Rose were going to join us before going to her parents on Christmas Eve, same with Angela and Ben. What started out as a small affair grew larger, as it often did with the Cullens, but I didn't mind. I needed my family more and more as the days passed.

As I fed Lucy, I thought about my conversation with Aro and my subsequent conversation with Garrett, Emmett, Jasper and my father. Needless to say they were not pleased with my meeting with Aro. But when I told them that he confirmed none of the attempted hits came from him, that I was protected, they changed their tune. They knew something else that they weren't sharing, likely something confidential.

Though they had said they were out on assignment that day. They had gone to question Rolf Whitney, Bernard Mallory, and several of the former members of the board for Cullen Enterprises. They had subpoenaed the board and were now awaiting the release of the names of investors that had lost money in the liquidation of the company. They were hoping to tie it back to Reycon or some other aspect of their investigation.

Soon enough Eric was bounding down the stairs and I went about getting him fed and changed before we hopped in the car to head to the Hamptons.

Agent Nunoz was driving today and I sat in the back between the kids and asked Eric questions about what he thought he was going to get from Santa.

"I think he's going to bring me a truck."

"A truck huh. What kind of truck?" I asked, smiling at his enthusiasm.

"A big Mac Truck, then I can use it to run over bad guys."

I chuckled. He sure had a vivid imagination.

He went on to tell me about the Paw Patrols and paint set he wanted.

"What else do you want?" I saw him pause, thinking and then he got quiet.

"I want Daddy for Christmas." He whispered.

My breath caught and I glanced in the mirror as I caught Agent Nunoz glance back. His expression was soft and sympathetic and my eyes instantly welled with tears.

What could I say?

I wanted him back too, so much it physically hurt every day.

I took a deep breath and let it out.

 _Big girl panties._

"I know bud. But Daddy will be back soon, and you know what? It will be like having another Christmas then." I tried to smile at him as he peered back at me. His big eyes studied mine until he finally smiled back.

I held his smile until I had to look away so he wouldn't see the tears fall down my face. I peeked at Lucy as she was asleep in her car seat and quickly wiped away the tears.

The rest of the ride was uneventful as I tried to change the topic and we sang songs along the way.

When we pulled into Carlisle and Esme's I unstrapped Eric and he quickly ran inside with his Grandpa. Esme took Lucy in her car seat as I grabbed bags and presents. Jasper came out to give me a hand and must have seen my face.

"You okay?" He whispered as I lifted out the last of the packages and Agent Nunoz closed the door.

"Yeah."

"You sure?"

I shrugged and told him about what Eric said.

"Oh Bella, I'm sorry. You know he'd be here if he could be right? I'm sure he's okay and is thinking of you too." Jasper set down the packages and gave me a hug.

I nodded, wiping away fresh tears and then taking another deep breath. Suddenly a cold wind whipped around us, nearly taking one of the packages out of my hand.

"C'mon, we should go inside. We're supposed to get a storm this afternoon and evening."

I followed Jasper in the house only to be met by rounds of more hugs, delicious smells and the warmth of Carlisle and Esme's home.

Soon the kids were running around in the basement with their uncles and Eliot, and baby Lucy was being passed from one adult to the other upstairs. I saw Rose holding her and looked at her now rounded out stomach with Angela looking on. They were both due in a few months and only a few weeks apart from each other.

"You ready for that again?" I asked and they both smiled.

"Strangely, yes." said Rose, who was going to be darn close to having Irish twins.

"Me too." Angela added. "We found out we're having a boy."

"Oh that's great Ange, I'm so happy for you."

Carlisle eventually grabbed Lucy to leave us women in the kitchen to chat and get the meal together. We kept the topics light and focused on shopping, the latest fashions, the latest gossip in New York's circles and who was marrying/dating/fucking who. We didn't bring up Edward, I think they could tell I needed a break from all of it—the mission, the pressure, missing him.

"Oh Bella, you'll enjoy this. I had to suffer through a lunch with Kitty Mallory on Wednesday." Esme rolled her eyes and I chuckled. "I didn't want to go, but we have a few mutual friends. Anyhow, Lauren hasn't landed anywhere else yet. Kitty seemed pretty perturbed about it."

I chuckled. Served her right.

Then I thought of something else. The day I had gone to see Aro was the day after her lunch, the day the article came out, and Garrett mentioned that they had questioned both the Mallorys and the Whitneys.

It made me wonder…

"Esme did she say anything about the stock issue with Cullen Enterprises?"

Esme stopped stirring the gravy she was preparing. "No we were mostly just talking about our kids and the holidays. Why?"

"Nothing, just curious." I said nonchalantly.

We turned the topics back to lighter things and as the wine flowed with Alice and Esme (though I had a glass or two as well), Rose and Angela laughed along and we prepared our dinner. We'd set out snacks for the kids and everyone to munch on throughout the day and before we knew it, it was almost 4:00. As it was the second longest night of the year it was already turning dark when I realized we didn't have enough milk for the kids.

The sky was turning ominous with the storm rolling in and the darkness of winter enveloping it as well.

Emmett came in the kitchen to check on dinner when suddenly the lights flickered.

"Hey Em, we're out of milk. Do you want to run and get some?" Rose asked.

Emmett shrugged and held up his empty beer. "I probably better not. I bet one of the agents can since I'm here. I'll call out to them."

I followed Emmett in the other room to set some potatoes on the table as he dialed his phone and held it to his ear.

"That's funny, it's not connecting." He looked at his phone strangely.

"Everything okay?" I asked.

He shrugged. "I probably just put Agent Nunoz number in wrong." He said as he searched for the other agent's cell.

Suddenly the lights flickered again, this time going out for a full ten seconds before coming back on.

Esme walked in then and looked at us as I saw the expression on Emmett's face go blank.

"Esme do you have a back-up generator?" He suddenly asked, his face in a hardened expression.

"We do, but it's not automatic. It only kicks in once the power has been out for thirty minutes or more."

"Shit." Emmett muttered as he looked at his phone again. "I don't think two wrong numbers is coincidence."

"What do you mean?" I stopped. My blood began to run cold in my veins.

"Emmett?" Esme asked with her eyes wide.

"Esme listen to me very carefully, do you have another exit from the basement?"

"Yes, there's a cellar door that comes in from the back. We never use it; but it's there to bring in the water equipment in the fall."

"Good, move everyone into that room and lock the doors. Go now."

Esme's eyes widened and she quickly ran downstairs.

"Emmett, what can I do?"

"You need to get downstairs Bella." He answered quickly as he marched over to the hall closet and pulled down his bag. But I just stood there and watched him. I knew he brought it with him everywhere just in case, but put it up out of reach of the kids. He immediately pulled out his Glock and held it in his hand. Then he pulled out his phone and dialed in.

I could only keep thinking about what this could mean, about Edward, about our entire family.

"I need agents on site at Cullen's parents' stat. We potentially have two agents down."

My mind began racing. Two agents down. Did that mean….someone got to them, and was going to get to us?

 _Fuck._

 _My baby girl. Eric. Our entire family._

"Emmett!" Jasper came running in then. "What's going on?"

"The agents aren't picking up." At that moment, the lights flickered again, and then the house suddenly went black.

But this time they didn't come back on. The low hum of all of the electrical appliances slowly ebbed away, leaving a black stillness around us. The wind was whipping around outside and I could now hear the rain pelting the windows.

"We have to move." Emmett said then, when looking at the windows.

"What about everyone else?" Jasper asked.

Emmett thought for a moment. "Whoever is here had likely cased the house and knows of that exit. But they're not going to come in that way. If all else fails we can create a diversion and you can escape."

"Go back down and in ten minutes, if I'm not back down there. Take them out and get everyone to the neighbors."

"What are you going to do?" I asked.

"Try to draw them in."

"I'm coming with you." I stated out of nowhere.

"Like hell you are." Emmett said at the same time Jasper replied. "No way."

"No one else here knows how to fire a gun. I do. And we need at least two of us. Goddamnit Emmett this is my family too." I whispered harshly.

Just then we heard it. It was a creak from the porch. Jasper ducked and Emmett and I hit the ground as we heard the slow footsteps walking across the hardwood floor.

Emmett nodded to Jasper and he hurriedly crept away to the basement.

It was then I remembered that Edward had shown me where he kept his hand gun at home. It was in a shoebox on the top shelf of our closet. Entirely nondescript.

I was hoping he had left a similar one here at his parents. He had been so manic about protection before he left that I suspected he did.

I looked at Emmett and motioned "up" and made a gun symbol with my fingers. He motioned back for me to go first. Then he counted off, one, two, three with his hands and I took off for the back stairs as fast as I could.

My legs took the stairs as quickly and quietly as possible. But as I turned the corner, I saw something else, a black figure moving from Carlisle and Esme's room to Eric's room across the hall.

I quickly dove into mine and Edward's bedroom, trying not to make a sound and praying that Emmett wouldn't come up as the man came down the hall.

In the split second I lay on the ground I thought about what this could mean.

 _Who were they?_

 _Who sent them?_

 _Were they going to murder us?_

 _Were they going to take out our entire family?_

I couldn't let that happen. Edward could not have put himself in danger only to have nothing to come back to.

I _wouldn't_ let that happen.

Without wasting another second, I moved to our closet in the bedroom and reached up top for a similar shoebox, hoping that I wasn't making too much noise.

Just as I reached into a box, I heard the first shot. Which sounded like it came from downstairs.

Then another shot.

I squeezed my eyes shut and cringed, praying it was Emmett taking the shots. At the same time my hand closed around the cool metal.

My fingers grasped on and I pulled it down to me. Edward always knew where to put things just in case this type of situation arose.

Just then the door to the bedroom squeaked open. Though it was dark, my eyes had adjusted enough that with the tiny waning light of dusk through the window I could see him through the crack of the closet door.

He had on goggles, which somewhere in the recesses of my mind I realized were probably night goggles. And somewhere else in the recesses of my mind I recalled that bright lights could temporarily blind someone wearing those.

My heart raced and pounded in my chest as I thought about what I should do. I pulled out my phone and as discretely as possible behind the mostly closed door and pulled up my flashlight app. I could try to flash the light at him to distract him. But would I be able to get a clean shot on him before he recovered?

Or I could wait, until he started searching the room and then try to get him.

I decided I didn't want to have to wait on him and I'd rather catch him off guard. I steeled my resolve and clasped the gun in my right hand and the phone in my left. I turned on the flashlight and covered the light with my finger.

Then I closed my eyes for a split second and let out a silent breath.

When he was right in front of the closet door, I slammed the door into him and knocking him off balance and then jumped out, uncovering the light and aimed it right at him. He turned and cried out as the bright light smashed into his senses.

In a split second, my phone fell to the floor and I pulled my hand up to secure the gun already lifted up in my right hand.

Then I aimed.

And without pause, I pulled the trigger.

One, two, three times.

He crumpled on the floor and didn't make another sound.

I stood there, my arms still holding the gun at him and my entire body shaking.

I didn't know how long, but he didn't move and neither did I.

I just stood there.

Until I heard the sirens, closing in from the distance, and feet thundering up the stairs.

"Bella!" A frantic whisper called.

"Bella!"

"BELLA!" I could hear Emmett's voice as it got closer and closer.

"In here." I finally whispered as I dropped the gun to my side and continued to stare at the man.

"Bella, are you-" Emmett stopped in the doorway after checking the room, his gun still held fast, and looked at the man.

I didn't move. I didn't blink.

Emmett cleared the gun from the man and checked his body for other weapons.

Then he turned to look at me when a strange sound came from the man. But it wasn't from him exactly. It was from an ear piece on his body.

Emmett quickly flipped him over and searched for the ear piece and put it to his ear.

He pursed his lips and motioned for me to be quiet as we heard the sirens pulling up out front.

"They want to know if he completed his assignment." He said after covering the mouthpiece I now saw connected to the man.

I could hear the agents entering the house and my mind spun with questions as I could hear the voice on the other line.

A million thoughts were running through my head at the speed of light in those seconds.

 _How did they make it past the agents?_

 _It wouldn't end until whoever was behind this was taken out._

 _Would they ever stop coming after us?_

 _Unless…_

Something shot to my brain.

 _Who_ exactly were they after?

"Wait! Emmett, I whispered." I quickly grabbed the mouth piece and covered it.

"Tell them he completed it, but he was shot on the way out."

Emmett's eyes widened as he put together what I was saying.

What that could mean for us.

He nodded then and grabbed the mouth piece and muffled it. Then suddenly he responded that he had completed his assignment and pretended to struggle as he said it, sounding like he was hit.

The voice on the other line said something and he responded, "affirmed."

Then he stepped back and motioned for me to do the same.

He grabbed the man's gun and put it in his hand and fired a shot into his temple. He listened to the earpiece until the line went dead. Then he pulled the cord out and ripped it in two to ensure that no reconnection could be made.

"How did you-" He finally looked at me perplexed and then at the gun still in my hand.

My eyes snapped to Emmett's and in a voice that I didn't know I had I answered him calmly.

"Edward…he told me…before he left. Well he had one at home, so I suspected he had one here as well." I stated.

"Jesus Bella that was some quick thinking." He shook his head. "And the other?"

"Emmett, I think whoever did this is after me and the kids and Carlisle and Esme. We were the only ones that were supposed to be here today. No one else knew about the rest of you coming because you didn't decide until last night."

His brow furrowed as he thought through what that could mean.

At that moment a half dozen agents came storming in.

"Mrs. Cullen. Agent McCarty. Is everyone okay here?"

"I'm fine, I'm fine." I answered, but finally the panic started to set in. "Where are my children?" I asked quickly.

"They're perfectly safe Mrs. Cullen. We have them in the secured vans."

"Get them back inside now." Emmett suddenly stated before looking over at me again.

"Agent McCarty, but we need to secure the place."

"I already did a sweep, and yes we need to do a more thorough one and lock it down. But I need to inform you of a development. Did they ever make it to the neighbors? Did anyone see them?"

"No, we intercepted them as they were leaving the basement."

"Bring them inside now."

"Sir, but—"

"I said now." Emmett shouted and the agents quickly swept the room, noting the dead body, but deciding to come back for him later.

My gaze moved back to his lifeless form.

"Bella." My eyes snapped back to Emmett's again as he studied my face. "You do know what this means right?"

"Yes. We're dead."

He nodded and then with a smirk that only Emmett could master at the moment, he let out a laugh. "Bella you're a bloody genius you know that. I never would have thought of it, but it's perfect."

"Emmett, whoever did this…" I trailed off.

"Had inside information."

"Yes."

 *** &^%$#**

 _ **~Agent Cullen~**_

Spinning, spinning, spinning.

Light. Dark. Light. Dark.

Humming. Creaking. Scratching.

Sickness.

Cold. Concrete. Dripping. Musty.

Pounding, pounding, pounding.

Sickness.

Spinning.

Where was I? What was happening?

Pounding. Humming.

Pungent perfume.

Darkness.

*&^%$#

 _Her long hair flowed down her back as she tossed her bikini over her shoulder and gave me a devious smile._

 _She was tan from our days in the sun. Her skin glowed even more than usual from our week of relaxation._

 _Her lithe form slid into the water, now sans bikini, and my body responded as she reemerged, the water trickling over her naked tits._

 _I removed my own trunks and she shot me a dark look, biting her lip between her teeth._

 _I knew what that meant. She liked what she saw. She wanted me._

 _I stepped into the cool water, welcoming the refreshing feel on my warm skin._

 _Her half Italian blood allowed her to tan, but my pasty skin didn't fare as well._

 _I swam to her and she splashed some water at me with a grin, inviting the chase._

 _My hands reached again, and she slipped away._

 _I chased her across the pool, watching as the water moved around her incredible body._

 _I wanted her just the same._

 _Just when I thought I had her, she ducked me and I dunked under the water to try to get her legs._

 _But she was too quick. Her ankle slipped from my fingers and I came up again._

 _I cleared the water from my eyes and looked around, not seeing her anywhere._

" _I'm here." I heard her whisper behind me as her warm hands moved up my back._

 _I smiled and turned to capture her in my arms, only to be met with nothingness._

" _I'm here…" I heard a whisper again but couldn't see her anywhere._

" _I'm here…"_

" _Liefje…" I whispered._

" _Liefje…"_

Blinking my eyes, willing the fogginess away, I tried to sit up. I tried to move, but I couldn't do anything.

 _Where was I? What was happening?_

 _Where was Bella?_

 _Did I get too drunk last night when we went out in Santorini?_

 _Why was I so cold?_

My throat ached and I kept trying to sit up but my limbs were so heavy.

"Drink." A voice said, putting water at my lips and I opened my mouth to welcome the liquid.

I couldn't shake the fogginess. My body felt like concrete.

Suddenly something passed in front of my noise and I snapped my head back hitting it against the wall.

 _Fuck._

A dark chuckle sounded next me. "Sorry."

I blinked and blinked, until finally my eyes started to focus.

 _Smelling salts. Ugh._

This time I saw a different mane of long dark hair.

But not one that I wanted.

A rush of emotions and memories came flooding back in that second and my eyes snapped to the owner of the voice next to me.

 _Zoraida_

The meeting in her office. The fake hit on Biers. The words spoken to me before I hit the ground.

It was then I felt the pain in my knees from the glass that had punctured them and I looked down to see that I was only in my underwear.

I turned and scowled at her and she gave me a pout.

"Get the fuck away from me." I growled hoarsely as she stared at me.

I tried to get up, tried to move, but it was then I noticed my hands and feet cuffed together and chained. My vision finally snapped back into place and I could see the concrete around me. The lone light was coming in from a barred window at the top of the room. The musty smell which permeated the space informed me that I was mostly underground.

In a cell.

A prisoner.

"Well, well, well, Agent Cullen. Coming to finally?" She raised her eyebrow at me as she stood up and walked to something in the corner. I could see a table with water and some sort of food on it.

"You need to eat." She stated as she brought a tray over.

"Why the fuck do you care?" My voice hurt and as my senses began to come back to me, I could tell I had been sick, likely from whatever they drugged me with. It knocked me out hard, and fast. So fast I hadn't been able to take my anti-serum before I crumpled to the floor in her office.

The fuzziness in my brain still prevented me from recalling my steps and how they got me with it.

But it was then I remembered just who "they" were.

"Where's your _brother_?" I snarled at her and turned away from the water she offered.

"It's not drugged. Drink. You will need your strength. We have much bigger plans for you." She smirked as she stood back.

I looked at her. She was now covered in black, just like her soul. Her black hair, black eyes, and black jacket all melded together and made her face seem almost ghostly in the light, as though it was floating without a body.

Unfortunately, I knew she was right. If I hoped to regain my strength at all I needed to eat and drink.

I tentatively sipped, not noting any strange flavor and then chugged the bottle of water before she set another before me.

As I ate the sandwich on the tray she crouched before me and eyed me peculiarly.

"You've changed since I saw you last Agent Cullen, or should I call you Sonny? Or Emil? Or better yet Gabe?" I flinched as she used the cover name that I had in Brazil.

But not as much as I did when she reached out to run her fingers over the tattoos on my chest. I could see the desire in her eyes and I cringed at her touch.

"Yes, you're even more…delectable than you were back then." She hissed.

My still uneasy stomach rolled as her fingertips traced the sun over my heart. "I never would have imagined that the renegade young assassin that I knew would become a stand-up family man."

I bristled. "Don't talk about my family. And don't touch me." I threw my hands up and forced hers away.

She smirked and stood up then and crossed her arms as she stared down at me.

"What do you want from me? Why didn't you just kill me?" I said as I shoved the last of the sandwich in my mouth.

"Oh Edward, we can't kill you. You're far too precious in this world to kill. Your skills are so valued. It would be a shame to get rid of a creature as… _remarkable_ as you."

I bristled again at the use of that word. That was _our_ word, mine and Bella's.

"Unfortunately, you're so good. You were just getting too close. You couldn't just let it rest. Of course we had a few complications that didn't help now did it?" She arched an eyebrow.

 _Complications? What complications?_

 _Ok I'll take the bait._

"Such as?" I asked as I grabbed for another bottle of water.

"Raven. He was always such a hot head. He couldn't get over his revenge for you so we had to take him out. Of course I'm sure that tipped you off didn't it?"

"So he was behind the hit in New York?"

"Yes. He was an idiot. You don't do it publicly like that if you use the best."

"You should know." I retorted and she merely raised her eyebrows as if to say "touche."

All of a sudden a shrill sound echoed through the brick walls and Zoraida snatched her cell phone from her pocket.

I fingered the cuffs on my hands and quickly racked my brain for any way I could pick them. I looked for the caps on the bottles of water, but of course she was too smart. She'd removed them before she came in.

There was a reason she had been around for so long and moved in and out of so many organizations. Now I just had to figure out what they wanted from me.

I kept my ears on her conversation as I heard her curse in Spanish.

 _How could you let this happen?_ She barked.

I heard her sigh and looked up as her eyes snapped back to mine.

 _Nonetheless. We'll find another way. There's still enough at stake._

With that she ended the call and shoved her phone in her pocket.

"I'm sorry our time is cut short." She bent down to me again and this time she nearly put her lips on mine as she peered into my eyes. I held my breath, not wanting to move or blink or give her any indication that I would do _that_ with her.

"But as usual, no one can fucking follow orders." She growled, but her hand traced my chest again. "Except for you, you always were the best."

I didn't miss her double entendre, but I let out a breath when she finally stepped back.

"That's why we want you. Soon enough, we'll be able to convince you to join us."

 _They wanted me? To what, join their operation. You had to be kidding me._

"Not a fucking chance." I spat.

"We'll see, when you find out just what you have left." Her eyes flashed with something and with that she turned on her heel and left.

 _What the hell did she mean by that?_

Not.

Bella…the kids.

No.

 _NO!_

My mind instantly began to spin. They had to be okay, they _had_ to be.

I couldn't go on without them. I _wouldn't._

I looked up at the light coming in the window and realized that it was Christmas Eve.

Yet I wasn't with them. Instead I was half way around the world, trapped in this cell.

I put my head in my hands, tears threatening to pour from my eyes and I pulled at my hair.

But then I stopped.

 _Get it together Cullen._

No.

It's not possible.

No.

I would _feel_ it if she was gone. I was sure of it.

I couldn't think that. If there was any time I had to push that out of my mind it was now. I couldn't believe the things they told me. I couldn't let them mindfuck me because surely that was the number one reason they were holding me here.

I had to focus on getting out instead.

 _But how the hell was I going to do that? What the hell did it all mean?_

I tried to get up from my position, but my limbs were still heavy and I couldn't feel my feet. I wasn't sure how long I had been out, but I didn't think it was more than a few hours.

After a few more minutes of struggling, I got pissed and picked up the tray and slammed it against the floor. But it was rubber and just bounced away. Frustrated I sat down and put my head in my hands.

"Fuck!" I shouted at the now empty cell.

I was still woozy and tired, and my body was shivering from the lack of protection as I sat back down.

I shivered and tried and tried to stay awake, but the after effects of the drugs along with my internal clock were pulling me under. It was then I noticed the ring on my finger and I switched it my other hand. My thumb ran over the ring, back and forth again and again, thinking of Bella and our children, of our memories, of _everything._

But after a while I couldn't fight it anymore, I started to nod off and I succumbed to sleep again.

*&^%$#

When I awoke, what I suspected was a few hours later, the light in the window was much brighter and the chill in the room wasn't as biting. Still I was cold and I needed to pee. Finally able to stand, I shuffled over to the corner and relieved myself in a bucket that I assumed was put there for that reason.

Then I shuffled around the remaining exterior. The silence in the room was deafening but I tried to listen for any sound I could, any indication of where I was being held. My eyes scanned every nook and cranny. I tried to look out the window to see if I could determine which direction the sun was out of, but to no avail.

Finally I sat back down, still tired from the after effects of the drug and I waited.

And thought.

And fumed.

I was pissed that I was here. I was pissed that my long-time _friend_ was apparently anything but that. I was pissed that it took me so long to put it all together.

But most importantly, I was pissed that I had walked into the Lion's Den.

 _Literally._

My grandfather may have been Il Leone, but the man pulling the strings behind all these organizations, or should I say their takedowns, was much more frightening.

He had much more power, more money and more contacts than any of the original players.

I leaned my head back against the wall and finally thought through all of the pieces.

I started with the most glaring revelation.

 _Lazzaro Simon._

As I worked it over in my head, thinking about the languages I knew, Lazzaro was a name akin to Eleazar in Italian, just as Simon was an Italian version of Jimenez. At some point he had changed his name. The question remained, how did Lazzarro Simon become Eleazar Jimenez and why?

Yet why did the church record show Franco Mancinci as his father originally. The database had listed Frederica Simon as his mother, and Zoraida Simon as his sister, so obviously he and Zoraida were at least half-siblings.

 _But was Franco really his father?_

 _Or did he disown him? Or was there another connection?_

I kept thinking back on my mission to Brazil and Eleazar's shadowy comments.

Not to get too deep.

Not to get too involved.

If Johan was his sister's father, then why would he want him taken out? And why would Zoraida want her father taken out?

What did this mean for the connection to Volturi, or Nahuel Garcia for that matter?

The puzzle pieces were all there. The picture connected, but now it was almost as if I was looking at it as a magic eye.

Was the picture what it appeared to be?

Most importantly, what was Eleazar's motivation?

In all of my dealings with him, all of the times we met, I never suspected that he was corrupt.

So what was his angle?

Just as I began to think back on all of our interactions, the iron door to the cell screeched open and I looked up.

Peering back at me was not the man I thought he was. He was dressed in a navy suit and white shirt, his silvering hair shone in the light from the window. But his normally jovial smile was now cast with an evil glint.

Like a lion with its prey in its sites, ready to pounce, he walked toward me.

"Edward."

"Eleazar…or should I call you Lazzaro." I emphasized with a sneer.

A hint of anger flashed across his face but he composed himself quickly. Though I stored that away in my brain.

"Eleazar?" I prodded again.

I might have been in a defensive position, but I wasn't dead yet, and they apparently needed something from me so I was going to use every advantage I had.

Finally he sighed and walked closer to me. It was then I noticed something I had never noticed before. Through the buttons of the white shirt I could see ink on his chest. I was immediately curious as to what it could be.

When he stopped, he narrowed his eyes at me for a moment.

"It's quite funny actually…" he started, but I could tell he had a lot to say so I let him continue. "We come from such very different stations in life, yet we both end up here." He motioned around at the cell as if it held some sort of meeting.

 _Stations?_

"What do you mean?" I coaxed him.

"I'm sure you're wondering how exactly I got here." He motioned again but I just held his gaze.

"You mean a cell. I can only hope that's where you'll end up as well." I snapped.

He chuckled darkly. "I can understand your frustration Edward. But I think you'll come to see it my way."

"I doubt it."

He paused for a moment before shrugging and tipping his head.

"My father…was an evil and vindictive man."

"Franco?" I questioned.

"No." Eleazar nipped back. "Franco was a saint."

 _A saint. That was an interesting way to put it._

 _Then who was his father?_

"Nahuel Garcia." I said before thinking.

"You really have done your homework Edward. I should have realized how close you were when I saw you in Spain." He said as he started pacing.

"I have. Then I'm curious, why was your birth record at the church listed as Mancini?"

Eleazar stopped for a moment. "As I was saying, my biological father was an evil and vindictive man. Padre—Franco—took my mother and I in after _he_ almost killed her."

"I still don't understand how that is connected with our stations."

"No you wouldn't would you Edward. A Cullen, born and bred as a New York elite, a trust fund baby. You had every option in the world at your disposal. Every avenue you could imagine. You could have done anything, and yet you chose this?" He chuckled. "That's because of who you _really_ are Edward, don't you know that?"

"No. Enlighten me Eleazar. Who am I?"

"Well you're like me of course, despite your starkly different upbringing. You see, I didn't have the entire world at my fingertips like you did. I grew up in the streets."

I sat back, knowing that was entirely different from the stories in the press. But I wanted him to continue, because I needed to know.

He looked away for a moment, as if remembering something and then turned back. "You see in the streets Edward, it's kill or be killed. Eat or don't eat. Live or die. I learned from a very young age not to trust anyone."

"Franco didn't provide you protection?" I asked.

"He tried, but by the time I was born he was all but bankrupt. He couldn't help us much. He gave us a place to stay in a shitty little apartment down the street from him."

 _The same one Frederica was still in?_ I wondered.

"But I still had to fend for myself. Thus I learned that I was quite fast, and had keen senses and unmatchable instincts compared to those around me." His eyes flashed to mine and I swallowed.

 _Just like me._ He was basically saying.

"So when I reached the age of majority—which was fifteen in Italy at the time—I decided to reinvent myself. Sound familiar?"

I shuddered as I thought about what he was saying. What did he want from me? Why was he comparing us? Because in my opinion he was evil, but I was not.

But then a sobering revelation washed over me, causing my stomach to drop.

 _I was evil wasn't I? How many people had I killed?_

I pushed that thought away quickly. I needed to get more information. I had to focus on that. I couldn't let him twist this around on me.

"So you changed your name."

"Yes. You see, I had an eye for business. Maybe not the kind you would approve of, but I was good at it anyway. So I slowly built my empire." He tapped his chin.

"And then I realized, I could make much more money, take over things if I worked both sides against one another , if I influenced both the good and the bad. So I expanded from working in the black market to working in the fair trades as well. "

 _What was he getting at? That's how he got in with the FBI?_

"I don't understand." I shook my head.

"It's simple economics Edward—supply and demand. When there's a scarcity of something it becomes more expensive. Think Edward, what was the one thing people wanted, needed, craved after 9/11?

His question flexed around in my brain. Everyone was terrified after the attacks. They only wanted one thing.

"Safety."

"Yes." He clapped at my understanding. "The stocks of my securities companies went through the roof after that. As did all of the security electronics I sold."

"Are you saying you were a part of that?" My eyebrows shot up at his inclination.

"No. Not that. I don't believe in taking _innocent_ lives." He emphasized. "But it did show me how I could use the evil of some to capitalize in the free markets and vice versa."

"But if you wanted to capitalize on peoples insecurities then why did you fund taking down Johan or the others?"

"If I took out the black market competitors and drove up the need for my goods through the fair market. The possibilities were endless. At the same time, if I took out the black market suppliers, then I could control the supply both in the open market and the black market."

"Are you saying you were behind them all out—Nahuel, Volturi, Johan, and my grandfather?"

"Well, largely with your help of course?" His eyes glinted.

"I still don't understand why?"

"Ah yes because you were born with a silver spoon in your mouth. Whereas I was just a kid from the streets. A kid who had to defend himself against a bunch of thugs. The larger world is no different. At the end of the day they were all just a bunch of thugs. A bunch of thugs who killed the only real father I ever had. Just as they killed your brother."

"What?"

"Franco didn't die of cancer. He died of arsenic poisoning." Eleazar sneered.

The thoughts were spinning through my head until I came to a realization. The original group must have turned on Mancini at some point.

Then Eleazar perfected his revenge by taking them all out.

He fashioned himself a modern day Robin Hood of sorts, or vigilante. Though he was anything but.

I still had so many questions.

"What about Zoraida?" I asked then.

He paused as he looked up at the window.

"My sister came along much later. After my mother went back to _him_. But she was a very…willing participant in my activities after what _he_ put her through as well."

"So Johan was not her father?"

"No, he was our uncle, and for as ruthless as my father was, my uncle was deceitful. He would do anything to undermine my father. They were competitive to the day they died."

"Hence the ostentatious mansions that rivaled one another."

"Exactly!" Eleazar smiled evily. "See Edward. You're just too good at this. Now why would you want to keep working for the FBI? Especially when you'll have no allegiance after this."

I shook my head. How could he possibly ask me that? He knew me. He knew I was devoted to my country. He knew I couldn't betray my family or my people.

"Eleazar…" I sighed, staring at my bound hands. "I can't do that."

"Oh but my dear Edward, you already have. You followed blindly into mission after mission and took out cells and organizations with much less intel. Many of which were orchestrated and funded by me."

My head shot back up as I thought about what he said.

 _Could that mean…_

 _Was my entire career fabricated?_

 _Was Fortnight in on it? Did the FBI know all along and allow this man to use me at his whim…or were they beholden to him for some reason?_

He bent before me, before my mind could go any further. "Do you remember Madrid?"

I looked at him then, thinking through the assignment. He'd asked me to do it and I did it without question.

"You took the assignment and went on your way. You didn't even ask who she was."

My stomach rolled at his accusation.

But I tried to deny it. "I was just following orders."

"You were already an assassin for hire Edward. You were never really FBI." He chided.

He was right.

He was _right._

Then he knelt down lower and tipped my face up, almost as though he were my father, or a friend, I wanted to cringe away. Yet he held my face to look at him.

"You _are_ him." He whispered as he turned his head to peer at me. "You are the ultimate weapon. You're the best. If it wouldn't have been for the little potion that I only recently discovered, I wouldn't have you here. I wouldn't have been able to get you."

"Work with me Edward. We could take over the world. _He's_ ready. You're ready." He whispered as he put both hands on my face. "And now you'll have your reason…"

 _Reason? What reason?_

"I will never work with you again Eleazar." I spat.

"Oh I think you will…" he chortled as he stood up, "when you find out who killed _them_? When you finally release him to avenge their deaths and realize that _he's_ really _you_. You will finally become yourself."

 _Their deaths._

 _Their deaths._

 _NO!_

"Eleazar?" I gasped.

"It wasn't me." He put his hands up. " _I_ wasn't going to touch them. I always promised Padre that. She was his great-granddaughter as well you know." He shrugged. "But I guess it had to be this way."

 _No._

 _They couldn't be._

 _No._

My stomach was twisting in knots over and over and my heart was pounding in my chest stomach like a freight train. I shook my head, my breathing frantic as I tried to stop my body from erupting.

"No!" I cried. "No." I squeezed my hands around the chains and pulled at them, the metal cutting into me and bruising my skin. I yanked, and pulled them as hard as I could, feeling the pain but not caring.

 _I would kill whoever did this._

 _I would hunt them to the end of the Earth._

"There he is Edward. Let him out." Eleazar goaded.

 _No. I couldn't._

 _No, they couldn't be gone._

I shook my head back and forth trying to force it from my brain.

 _Don't let them win. They're playing you._

"The sooner you let him out, the sooner you can avenge them." He whispered.

With that he stepped back and marched to the door.

I grabbed at my hair and rocked on the floor of the cell.

"In due time my son. In due time."

The door screeched shut again and without even knowing I was making it, the most agonizing sound emanated from my body.

"Nooooooooooooo….."

 _Bella._

 _Eric._

 _Lucy._

 _ *** &^%$#**_

 **A/N:**

Sooooooo… that was…rough? I promise the next one will be soon as well. The words are flowing like wine lately.

I have been trying to keep the author's notes at a minimum. But I haven't had time to respond to a lot of your reviews so I just want to say I LOVE them. Thank you so much. I'm really loving writing this story. Angsty or not, it's just at thrilling to write it as (I hope) it is for you all to read it.

And I love your guesses, inclinations, and reactions.

See you soon.

~AMJ


	20. Chapter 19- Coagulant

_**Chapter Nineteen: Coagulant**_

" _ **Nights in White Satin" by The Moody Blues**_

 _ **~Agent Cullen~**_

The hours and the days ran together in a haze. My mind turning over and over in a constant state of torment.

 _Were they gone?_

 _Were they really gone?_

 _Or was Eleazar just playing me?_

I wanted to scream. I wanted to cry.

I wanted to hold my wife and son and baby girl in my arms.

The cold concrete seeped through my skin every hour until I'd try to get up only to crumple back to the ground.

Even if I ever got out, if they were gone, that would be the end. I couldn't live without them.

I lay my cheek on the cold floor, hoping, praying that it wasn't true. The visions in my head as clear as the days they happened. The peril of my ridiculous memory was that I couldn't forget things either.

Instead, I thought about them, every second of every minute. The memories raced and raced through my head.

The day Eric was born and I held him in my arms for the first time. The day Lucy was born, even though all of the terrible things that happened, and I saw her sweet face.

But even more so, my memories of Bella.

The first time we met…

 _Then she lifted her head up and it was like all time stopped. I wasn't at Gray's, I wasn't in New York, I wasn't undercover, I wasn't anything…but me. Holding this woman's arm as her stunning brown eyes seared into me. All I could feel, all I could sense was warmth and coffee and vanilla and cinnamon. I couldn't decide if it was her smell, her touch or the blistering look in her eyes, but I felt as though my hand was welded to her arm. I couldn't let go if I wanted to._

The first time we kissed…

 _I pressed my lips to hers and the fire that had been building between us from the first time we met set ablaze. It was like I was struck with lightning. It was slow and tender at first, her perfect lips gently pressing against mine and I responded in kind. Then it grew stronger as our lips moved together, feeling every inch of the other._

 _I cupped her face as she put her hands on my chest and my body began to respond to her touch. My skin was on fire under her fingertips._

 _I gently pulled her lower lip into my mouth and she moaned lightly. I had to stop. I couldn't go any further or I would take her right there. I pulled away and leaned my forehead against hers and placed one more soft kiss on her lips. Her eyes flickered open and I was met with equal desire to mine._

The first time we _really_ talked about everything…

 _"I don't want there to be boundaries." I whispered and stroked her face._

 _"I…I don't know why, but I feel like I can talk to you." I murmured._

 _"You can, Edward. You can talk to me about everything. And it's ok to talk about him. You need to. And I know it's going to hurt, trust me I know. But it will be so much better in the end." She looked into my eyes and brought her hand up my face. I leaned into it, just as I was leaning into her in so many other ways, and closed my eyes and felt the tension leaving my body._

The first time I realized I was in love with her, and that there was no stopping it.

 _My mind was racing as fast as our eyes were dancing back and forth across each other's faces. Everything I had just said, everything I wanted, was exactly how I felt about the woman looking back at me. The room was thick with realization, and I felt like my heart thundering in my chest._

 _Jesus, am I really…_

 _"I've never felt like that either…" She trailed off but she didn't have to say the rest. I knew how she was going to finish it. It was the same two words I would have used to finish the sentence._

 _Until now._

When I finally conveyed how much I needed her.

 _"Please, please tell me you will be careful…I." I drew a deep breath as I thought about what I was going to say. "Bella you mean so much to me, more than you could ever know and I couldn't live with myself if something happened to you. I told you last night…but…" I stroked her cheeks as her wide eyes stared at me and she worried her lower lip._

 _"_ _Mijn Schoonheid_ _." I kissed her. "_ _Mijn Zon_ _." I kissed her again. "_ _Mijn Licht_ _." And again. "_ _Mijn Lief_ _." And again._

 _"I love you Bella." I whispered in a breath._

How she stood by me time after time because we really were meant for each other. She truly was my other half.

 _"I don't deserve you Mijn Zon. I never have." I said quietly and her eyes danced across my face. She put her hands on both sides of my face again and rubbed her thumbs over my cheekbones. Then she looked me straight in the eye with the most piercing stare I had ever seen._

 _"Yes you do." She annunciated. "And even if you think that, well that's too bad because I'm not going anywhere." She was resolute._

And when she told me she was pregnant with Eric.

 _"Edward, I'm pregnant." She finally whispered._

 _I crushed her to me as I fell to the floor on my knees. Her arms stayed around me as she joined me and tears filled my eyes and ran down my face without willing them to do so._

 _With those two words my entire life shifted before my eyes._

 _Everything changed._

 _It wasn't all about me anymore. It had_ _never_ _been about me and I failed to see that for too long._

My eyes snapped open at that memory.

It wasn't all about me anymore was it? It wasn't about avenging anything, or being someone's savior, or riding in on my white horse like a knight in shining armor.

It was about them.

Suddenly, I could hear her voice in my head, prodding me on. Just like she had the night she told me she was pregnant with Eric.

" _Get up Cullen."_ She said.

" _Use it Cullen. Let it drive you."_ She prodded.

" _Don't draw in."_ She'd pleaded.

" _I'm not going to stand around and watch you self-destruct anymore!"_ She'd pressed.

" _Don't let them win."_ She demanded.

For the first time in days, I pushed myself off the ground and forced my eyes to look clearly at the room around me.

If she was gone, if they were really gone, then what we had couldn't _just_ live in my memories.

But if they were still here, on this earth, then I couldn't give up. I had to try to get back to them. After how she brought me back, how she helped me redeem myself, I owed her that. And I owed my children a chance to have a father and a life outside of this one.

I had to get up. I had to keep moving. I had to find a way out.

 _I love you Bella. I love you Eric and Lucy, and I'm going to find my way back to you._

 *** &^%$#**

" _ **Paint it Black" by The Rolling Stones**_

 _ **~Bella Cullen~**_

I watched in awe on the television as the funeral procession crept down 5th Avenue. In a million years, I never would have thought that my funeral would be televised.

It really had more to do with the situation. But still.

It wasn't every day that the parents of a coveted FBI Agent, who were two very well-known and respected business people in the community, their daughter-in-law and grandchildren were murdered in their Hamptons home.

The press was in a frenzy.

Our home had been barricaded though press was still camped outside. The Cullen's home was surrounded, as well as Jasper and Alice's. It was a monumental clusterfuck to say the least.

Yet here I sat, in the penthouse of the Waldorf Astoria. The entire floor and two floors below had been blocked off—for FBI security reasons. Though we were all staying here.

Even though Jasper and Alice, Rose and Emmett, Angela and Ben, my father and Sue, along with all of our other friends and extended family were at the funeral at the moment, they had to play the part after all.

No one else knew, outside of the people that had been at the house and then through a secure channel they let Charlie and Sue know. The FBI didn't want to let them know at first, but I couldn't let my father go on thinking he lost his daughter and grandchildren in addition to his son. I couldn't put him through that.

So here we sat, watching as empty caskets were hauled out of the hearses and mourners surrounded, cried, and sang in their sympathy. It was unimaginable. People we didn't even know came out in droves.

"How are you doing Bella?" Carlisle asked me as he stepped in the room.

"Surprisingly okay. This is crazy though right?" I nodded to the television and Carlisle just shook his head in bewilderment.

"I can't believe it."

"I'm sorry for the trouble this will cause you."

I'd realized after the fact just the epic shit storm I had created by taking this route. Of course people would find out, especially with the article that had come out only the day before. But I never imagined it would be this level of crazy.

"It's okay. In some ways I'm thankful. Now we can just live in solitude for a while and we don't have to answer questions about everything else."

I nodded in agreement and then looked down at the little beauty sleeping in my arms.

"She's such a gem isn't she?" He said then, patting her downy head.

"Do you want to hold her? I could use the restroom anyhow."

He nodded and smiled as I handed Lucy to him. She didn't even stir. She loved to snuggle up for naps and would likely be out for another hour.

I excused myself to use the restroom and as I was washing my hands I glanced in the mirror and thought about the last few days.

It had been chaos.

Shortly after the FBI ushered the rest of the family back into Carlisle and Esme's house, everyone was hugging and crying. But then we had to turn our attention to the situation at hand.

The first was to address the fake deaths. Soon after the ambulances arrived, neighbors started to come over and ask questions. Then press started to arrive. Thus we really had to sell it if we wanted our plan to work.

We had the ambulances take out stretchers with body bags filled with pillows. Each ambulance was accompanied by an FBI Agent and then they would escort them to a secure area.

We couldn't have anyone leaking that it wasn't really a body in _all_ of them.

Then we turned to determining who should plan the funeral.

"I'll do it." Alice had said. "But this better not actually happen for quite some time!" She'd cried hysterically, which led to another round of hugs.

As she and Jasper started to figure out what they would need to do, Rose and Angela got the children all fed and to bed.

Finally, we debriefed and made a plan for what to do next and tried to figure out who could have wanted us killed, because clearly it wasn't just a crazy person who wondered into Carlisle and Esme's home, it was a professional hit. I recalled our conversation as we sat in the living room with Garrett and two other Agents.

" _It looks like the point of entry was the beach side. Which makes sense as to why they didn't see the additional cars in the front. Clearly these guys were trained given some of the equipment they had, but they weren't the best by any means." Garrett stated._

" _Any idea who they might be?" Emmett asked._

" _We won't know until they process them at the morgue. Our examiner will take a look at everything." Garrett sighed before he continued. "What concerns me more is who would have ordered it."_

 _We all sat quietly as we processed his words._

" _No offense Bella, but I understand them coming after you and the kids. But Carlisle and Esme?" Rose said then._

" _None taken." I gave her a small smile. "I've been thinking the same thing as well and I keep coming back to something." I blew out a breath before I continued, not wanting to rock the boat more but we were technically dead now, so how much more madness could I create._

" _Esme, I only spoke with you on the phone about coming out here. Is there anyone else you mentioned it to?"_

 _Esme thought for a moment and then her eyes widened. "The lunch with the women. I mentioned that you were coming out._

" _Who was there?" Garrett demanded and grabbed a notepad._

" _Kitty Mallory, Ingrid Whitney, Ellen Johanson, and Susan Barns." Esme recalled._

 _Garrett's eyebrows shot up and he looked at Emmett and then Carlisle. "Interesting. Have you ever gotten any indication that Kitty or Ingrid was upset with you?"_

" _Maybe a little, but nothing overt. Of course, you know New York socialites, everything is passive aggressive." Esme rolled her eyes. "No one says anything straight."_

 _No they just try to kill you instead, I thought to myself. But I couldn't get ahead of this just yet._

" _What about you Bella? Did you tell anyone else?"_

 _I shook my head "No."_

" _What phone did you use?"_

" _I used our house phone."_

I looked up at the mirror when I realized something.

If I used our house phone, and our house phone was tied into the security system that Edward had set up.

Wait.

"Carlisle!" I ran out of the bathroom and saw him sitting on the couch talking to the still sound asleep Lucy.

"I need to do something. I need to go to our house to look for something. Do you mind watching her for an hour or two?"

"Of course not Bella." He looked at me perplexed.

"There are bottles in the fridge and diapers next to the crib."

I hurriedly grabbed my coat and ran out the door to the elevator.

"Agent Masters. I need to go to my home."

"Mrs. Cullen we have strict instructions not to let you off of this floor."

"No you don't understand I need to go look for something. It's very important to the investigation."

"Just tell me what it is and I will have an agent go take a look for you."

"Goddamnit. You won't know what you're looking for. Hell I won't know until I see it!" I exclaimed.

I sighed. "Listen. Take me tonight once it's dark. I'll put on a disguise so no one sees me."

"I'll have to check with SA Morgan."

"Fine."

I walked back into the penthouse, frustrated, because I felt like something was on the edge of my memory.

Carlisle looked at me in question and I shrugged.

"They wouldn't take you huh?" He smiled sadly.

"No."

We were quiet for a moment. Esme was downstairs with Alice and Jasper's girls and Eric. They didn't want to take them to the fake funeral in case they remembered it.

I racked my brain as I thought about the mess we were in. How would we explain this if we came out of protective custody?

Or worse yet what if we never did.

What if Edward thought we were dead? I don't know what he would do, I couldn't think about that.

 _Don't go there Bella._

Instead, I needed to focus on fixing this. I thought back through our many conversations and debriefs the last few days. They still hadn't figured out who the assassins were.

The bigger question was who they worked for.

"Bella what's going on in that head of yours?" Carlisle asked then as he looked up from Lucy.

"Nothing. Everything." I sighed and then thought of something. "Carlisle before you retired, did you have any altercations or disagreements with anyone at Reycon?"

Carlisle sighed and then stood up and walked Lucy to the other room. I watched as he laid her the crib and then closed the door quietly.

He sat down and clasped his hands. "I've been thinking about this too. But I just don't see how there could be a connection."

"What?"

"They wanted to add on to one of our research facilities. They wanted to add a level five unit to our facility in Trenton. Basically for extremely dangerous viruses and other contaminants that can be lethal when exposed to the public via open air or water. But I was strongly opposed to it before I left."

My ears perked up at this. "Did you tell Garrett about it?"

"Yes. But they never decided to do it, it was only in proposal phase, so I assumed it wasn't a viable lead."

"But now you're thinking otherwise?" I questioned.

"A few of the marketing heads were upset because they thought it would be a very profitable option for us in our international trade."

"How so? How can storage be profitable?"

"Well it's not just storage. It would be for research too, for developing anti-serums and counteragents for the viruses and biological weapons. Other countries will pay millions to have access to their own stock and even invest millions in the research to guarantee their own stock."

"Why were you opposed to it?"

"Frankly, I felt the risks were too high. The types of agents they wanted to bring in are the most dangerous in the world. There's no guarantee we would be able to develop the counteragents before someone else and had little ability to hedge our expenses on that front. Also, Trenton is an incredibly populated area and very near many more populated areas."

"Like New York."

Carlisle looked up then. "Yes. Maybe I was being selfish and not thinking for the company, but I didn't want to put my family in danger or anyone else's. We have research facilities in remote areas for these types of things and the personnel that work them sign extensive agreements and waivers. They know what they're getting into. People living near a facility like that don't have any choice in the matter."

"Why did they want to put it there?" I asked.

"Because it would be easier to transport in time of crisis. It's somewhat of a catch-22, because you don't want it to be near populated areas if something goes wrong. But if we needed to distribute the counteragents then we would need to be near transportation."

I nodded, now understanding.

"But there was also an investor that was willing to front a large sum of money to get it started. That's why they were upset, they had worked with this investor for quite some time and he was willing to put a lot on the table so the expense wouldn't have been as high as something like this normally was.

"Who was the investor?"

"Eleazar Jimenez."

*&^%$#

The penthouse was crawling with agents and analysts—only those that had clearance on our case, but there was a constant buzz as they worked angles, researched connections and looked into other aspects of the investigation.

Night time had finally come and I was itching to go to our house. After Carlisle's revelation I had shot up and started pacing. Edward knew Eleazar, they were friends even from what I could tell. I relayed that to Carlisle and he never knew. But then he immediately got up and asked one of the agents on duty to make a call to the lawyers for Cullen Enterprises because he wanted to look into something else as well.

Just then Garrett walked in, still wearing his suit from the funeral and looking stressed as hell.

"What's going on Garrett?"

"I think we have a lead on who may have ordered the hit on you."

"Really? Who?"

"I can't tell you that right now."

"Seriously Garrett I'm already dead!" I shouted at him and the entire room went silent.

He looked at me then and we locked in a stare down.

"Boy it's no wonder Edward married you."

"I'm going to take that as a compliment." I retorted.

"You should." He laughed hallowly, but the finally he sighed, "Come with me."

"Where are we going?"

"To your home."

"Good. I wanted to go there anyhow and I was just going to ask." I replied.

"Why?" He asked as he handed me an FBI issued jacket and hat.

"Because I need to look at something. I think I might know something, but I have to check. I won't know until I see it and I can't convey it to anyone else."

"Fine. Put these on. We're going down the service elevator. I'm giving you this," he handed me a gun and a badge, "don't hurt yourself or anyone else."

I rolled my eyes at him. "I know how to shoot a gun remember?"

He stopped for a second. "Oh yeah."

I loved Garrett, but sometimes he got so into Agent mode that he forgot regular civilians were pretty capable people too.

The back elevator hummed as we descended and the four agents around me stood stock still.

We walked out into the parking garage and I tucked into the hooded jacket and hat I was wearing, not allowing my face to be seen by anything. Soon we were in an unmarked SUV and speeding toward our house.

As the city lights passed by me, I let my mind wander to where Edward was at that moment. Was he meeting with some shady person in the underground? Or was he getting ready to go to a club in whatever corner of the world he was in? Or god forbid was he on a hit?

At that moment I just took a deep breath and tried to put any positive energy I had out into the universe for him, to keep him safe, to keep me in his heart and in his mind.

To get him back to me.

 _I love you._

 _I miss you._

 _I'm here. We're here._

 _Come back to me._

 _I'll love you forever._

Before I knew it, we were pulling into the garage of our home and jumping out of the SUV. As we ran into the house, the smells of my own home assaulted me as I hadn't been here in two days since they allowed me to get a few things.

I ran upstairs and immediately went up the back entrance to the attic.

As I entered the code, I looked around the otherwise nondescript room, until the panel opened up and the command center came to life. The monitors were still buzzing, I could see all of the video from the cameras pointed in various directions outside. I could hear the agents talking about phone access and the landline downstairs.

I looked around, trying to pull out the memory or the nugget of knowledge that I was sure was in my brain. I could feel it. Something I saw the last time I was up here when Edward showed me how to use all of the equipment.

My eyes scanned monitor after monitor and then I did the DNA swab to look at the weapons.

There were multiple rifles, handguns of different types and smoke grenades. Then I saw something odd, something that didn't fit.

It looked like a jump drive. But it was bigger than that.

And then it hit me.

" _Auto destruccion."_

The person on the other end of the line told Emmett to self-destruct.

The chip—or whatever it was—said the same.

 _It couldn't be._

I didn't touch it, because I suspected that it was a timed chip that if I put it into the security system it would fry the entire thing-auto destruct it.

I closed the panel and began looking around at the equipment for a marker. I looked at the computer towers and saw it.

 _Son-of-a-bitch._

JS

It was on everything.

JS was Jimenez Securities.

Edward had outfitted our entire house with equipment from Eleazar.

Eleazar was connected to Reycon, and the more I was thinking about it, I was sure he was connected to Edward's investigation.

A shudder tore down my spine, but it wasn't in fear.

It was anger, pure unadulterated anger.

The entire time we thought we were secure, we were anything but. I wanted to vomit. I wanted to scream.

I wanted to kill someone or something.

Instead I took my rage out on the panels and everything else in my path.

Without thinking I snapped. I picked up a tower and threw it into the monitors and then did the same with another. My arm swung across the desk and the equipment went crashing to the floor. I started ripping pieces off the wall and pulling cords from their connections until I was panting and out of breath.

"Bella!" I heard a shout coming up the attic stairs and I put my hands on my knees as I stared at the destruction around me.

"What the fuck Bella? The alarms are going off all over the house!" Garrett shouted at me.

Shaking my head at him, I finally whispered. "Garrett did you ever work with Eleazar Jimenez?"

"No. But I know he's been…involved with the FBI. Why?" Garrett gave me a peculiar look, like he knew more than he was saying.

"Did he ever work with Edward?"

"I think he may have…" Garrett said slowly.

I didn't want to ask the next thing I thought because I remembered that at one point, Edward was in Spain. It had slipped in a conversation with Emmett. And if he was in Spain then…

"All of this equipment is from him." I sighed.

"Okay, that's not uncommon. He owns nearly all—"

"No Garrett. I think it's more than that. Carlisle said he was the major investor wanting to front for the counteragent development in Trenton."

"Fuck." Garrett gasped.

I had never seen Garrett flustered. He always kept his cool under pressure. But he ran his hands over his face and turned pale.

"Fuck, Bella, fuck!" He shouted and then looked around frantically.

"We have to get out of here. Now. We have to go now."

Like the speed of light we left the house as quickly as we came. Marching our way back into the Waldorf up the back entrance and into the penthouse. After barking orders into his phone for the FBI to completely clear our house, Garrett hadn't spoken a word. But his jaw twitched every so often as he took each turn at a rapid pace. I'd see him close his eyes and shake his head, only to open them again and clench his jaw.

As we walked in, I could see commotion in the living room.

"Agent Fairbanks what's going on?" Garrett said then, moving back into his commanding self.

"We have a link. They traced the funds from an offshore account from Jenks to an old Drac cell."

"Jenks?" I said as I walked in.

"Morgan?" Fairbanks looked at me as though I should be there.

"Do we have to do this again?" I asked and shot him a dirty look.

"She can help us. Keep going."

"The cell is one run out of the Bronx. Agent Clearwater was close to breaking it before he left."

"Bring them in. Bring in Clearwater's sister too."

"Where are Carlisle and Esme?" I asked quickly. "And you should call my father. He's been investigating Leah's boss as well." I shot.

Shit I sounded like an agent.

I hurriedly ran into the other room to see Carlisle talking to Esme and grabbed him.

"Carlisle, do you still consult with anyone from Reycon?"

"Yes the person who took over my position why?"

"Do they defer to your judgment?"

"Yes, she's a fantastic department head, but I held the job for over twenty years so there's a huge learning curve."

"Did she agree with you on the Trenton project?"

"Yes and she has continued to take the same position. Why, where is this going?"

I didn't know. I didn't _know_. But I felt like we were on the cusp of something.

"Is there any chance that Jason Jenks knew she was consulting with you?"

"Possibly. I argued with him about it before I left."

"Carlisle, Jenks used to report to Kebi right? Or at least that position did?"

"Yes."

I turned to look at Garrett when suddenly Agent Fairbanks phone rang.

"Hello." His brow furrowed and then I saw his eyes widen. "Yes, that is interesting news. Thank you for looking into that for us."

He turned off his phone and looked up then. "Special Agent Morgan, Mr. Cullen, that was the attorney from Cullen Enterprises that you had me contact earlier. They are finally able to release the names under the subpoena for the disgruntled investor."

"And?" Morgan prodded.

"It was Amun Kebi."

*&^%$#

I should have been tired, but I wasn't.

After the chaos and the orders to bring in Jenks and everyone else connected to Reycon and the Drac ring, I was wired.

I'd gone downstairs and put Eric to bed in Carlisle and Esme's room. Alice was watching Lucy. Our family had been through so much, I could only hope this was the big break we needed.

The FBI suspected either Kebi through Jenks or Jenks ordered the hit on Carlisle, Esme and me and the kids and that he'd used some of his contacts in New York, old Drac and new gang. But they still didn't entirely understand motive, and they didn't know how connected Eleazar was.

It was hard for me to square the jovial billionaire that I'd flown around New York City with only months prior, with the potential international terrorist that he might be.

My biggest concern now was Edward?

 _Did he know? Did he have any suspicion?_

I prayed that he wasn't anywhere near Spain as Emmett had let slip.

My tired eyes looked at the clock numbers and took in the hazy 2:00 A.M. I stood up and poured another cup of coffee and ran over everything in my head yet again.

When I had gone home the first time, I had grabbed my grandmother's journals. Though her words were often difficult to read, they also gave me some measure of accomplishment. I felt as though I was doing _something_ when I read them.

I pulled them out of my bag and I skimmed the first few pages. Unfortunately since I didn't know Italian I couldn't do much. But one word kept jumping out at me.

 _Spainerd._

Could it be that the Spainerd referenced in my grandmother's journals was somehow related to Eleazar? The silence in the room was like a dull hum around me as I worked it around in my head.

All of a sudden the door to the room opened and Emmett came rushing in. He looked as tired as I was, but was wild eyed as well.

"Bella, Biers just showed up in New York. He's down at headquarters and he said he has information. That he had to come back in and he has some news on Edward. I think you should come with us."

I shot up and hurriedly threw on my shoes and the same FBI issued gear I had been wearing earlier. After tucking my hair in my hat yet again, we left in similar fashion, this time to drive downtown to Edward's office.

Emmett sat in the back with me, his leg bouncing up and down in a cadence.

"I thought Biers was supposed to be under with Edward."

"He was. But it makes me nervous that he's back."

"You don't think." My breath caught.

"No. No Bella. He would have called in if…" he trailed off, Emmett said, though unconvincingly.

 _If Edward was dead._

Neither of us could say it.

"Why is he back then?"

"That's what we need to find out. He probably has a ton of information after being under for nearly a month and a half."

My brain spun at his words. It really had been that long since I saw Edward last. November seemed so long ago, and we never really celebrated Christmas. Yet here we were, nearly six weeks since I had spoken to him.

Seen him.

Touched him.

Kissed him.

I shook my head as I looked back at Emmett.

"Emmett what do you think Eleazar has to do with all of this?"

He glanced at me out of the corner of his eye and then seemed to shift uncomfortably.

"Emmett."

"I don't know what to think."

With that, we were pulling into HQ and quickly exiting the vehicles. We went downstairs into their secure interrogation area so that I wouldn't be seen and so that Biers wouldn't be seen either. My hands were shaking and my heart was racing as I walked through the tiled halls.

The sound of our feet created a march that was in sync as we stepped. It made me think of another time and another place when my husband was likely in similar shoes, walking these halls, yet in search of me.

It was a sobering thought.

We stopped at the end of a hallway and I could see Riley talking to Garrett in a room. Emmet didn't pause he just opened the door and walked in.

"Mrs. Cullen." Biers looked up shocked.

"Agent Biers." I nodded.

"I'm so sorry."

My breath caught and I put my hand to my chest, gasping for air.

"What the fuck Biers?" Garrett yelled then.

"He's, he's…" I kept gasping and couldn't get it out.

"No, Bella he's not. But you may want to sit down."

"Tell me now, I don't need to sit, just tell me."

Riley and Garrett exchanged glances and my resolve finally snapped.

"Tell me!" I shouted.

Riley turned to me then, his eyes filled with sorrow as he spoke. "He was taken. By Zoraida and I think Eleazar Jimenez."

A whoosh left my lungs and I could feel hands under my arms as the room began to spin. Emmett shuffled me into a chair and I gulped for air.

He wasn't dead.

He wasn't dead.

I kept repeating to myself.

 _But they had him._

When I finally caught my breath, I looked to the other three men in the room and their expressions.

They were scared.

I had never seen any of them scared.

"Talk." I finally said with resolve and sat back.

And I just kept repeating my mantra, albeit now with a twist.

 _I love you._

 _I will find you._

 _I will get you back._

 _I'll love you forever._

*&^%$#

An hour later, the room was eerily quiet and the only sound was the door opening as another agent brought us our second cups of coffee.

Biers had tracked Zoraida to Italy. He saw her at the club with Caius and Marcus. He determined Russo had been sent back to Miami to make sure the contingent there kept going about its business.

But he had somehow messed up and Zoraida ordered the hit on him. He went on to explain all that Edward, with the help of Charles, had found out in Spain. He recalled the connections between the old group and how they might be connected today.

"Isn't this all classified?" He'd said at one point, glancing at me.

"I honestly could give two shits right now Biers, keep talking." Morgan had stated.

"I saw her take out Kebi."

"Amun Kebi?" I said.

"Yes."

"But he's-"

Suddenly Garrett cut me off and I shot him a look, but he didn't say anything.

Something else was going on with Garrett and I couldn't quite figure it out.

"Continue." Garrett said.

Apparently Nahuel Garcia had been the head of the Spanish mafia, and was connected to Johan in South America, and Jan Cullen and Volturi in the Northeast.

It made me wonder if I was on to something earlier when I had been reading my grandmother's diaries.

"I wonder if this Nahuel could be the Spainerd." I said.

"Can we run him through the database?" Biers asked.

Just then Emmett and Garrett looked at each other and the room turned quiet.

"What?" I asked.

The both glanced around and then looked at me strangely.

"We'll see what we can do."

 _That was odd._

But Biers had continued on and explained the shipment, the facility in the States that was referenced and that they allegedly had someone on this side.

"I bet it was Jenks." Emmett said.

"Who?" Biers asked, but neither Emmett or Garrett answered.

"So when did Edward fake your death?" Garrett asked.

"The 23rd."

"And they took him that night?"

"Yes. I knew I was supposed to leave, but I was worried about how that was all going to go down and I knew Seth and Liam wouldn't be joining us for another few days."

"What happened?"

"I followed him to the club that night. I know he ordered me not to, but I had to. After everything…" He blew out a breath before continuing.

"He went to meet with her, and I never saw him come out. I watched too. I cased both exits and never saw him leave. But I saw Eleazar go in. He went in the back entrance. Then I got the fuck out of there and got back to the States. It took me a few days to get in to make sure I shook any tails."

 _Why had it taken him so long to come in?_

"Today is the 27th. So he's been gone for _four_ days?" Garrett asked skeptically.

"I think so."

My heart clenched at that thought.

 _No he's okay. He has to be okay._

"If he was dead, he would have turned up by now. They would want us to know that they killed him." Emmett said then.

"Why?" I questioned.

"Because they would want to mark their territory." He rubbed his chin as he thought. "But they want him for something."

"A bargaining chip?" Garrett asked.

"I don't think so." Emmett said.

"Well don't we need to do something more than just fucking sit here?" I finally said.

Garrett looked Emmett again and then I knew something was up.

"That's it. The two of you." I pointed at them. "I want to talk to you alone."

They glanced back and forth again.

"Now." I demanded.

Their eyes silently spoke words until they led me out into the hallway.

"Not here." Emmett murmured.

"Where?"

Emmett thought for a moment until he motioned up.

We rode the elevator all the way to the top, all the while not saying a word to one another, until we stepped out on the rooftop by the helipad. It was windy as hell up there, providing a cover for our conversation.

"What the hell is going on you two? I want to get on a plane and go to Italy right now. Why don't you?"

I finally saw Garrett take a deep breath.

"Bella, there's something we need to tell you."

They both looked around as the wind whipped around our faces.

Finally Garrett spoke and I almost came to my knees.

"We think someone on the inside is leaking information. That's why they knew where you were and how to get you. Eleazar has been working with, or more likely using, the FBI for years and we think he may have bugs planted all over the organization. We don't know who he's conspiring with or how vast it is. But Emmett and I are concerned about who we can trust."

"Holy shit." My hands went to my head. "Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit."

"Exactly." Emmett sighed.

"So what does that mean?" I finally asked.

"We're not sure Biers is telling the truth." Garrett said.

So did that mean…

No.

No!

 _He's not dead._

 _He's coming back to me._

 _He's not fucking dead!_

 _I'll love him forever._

"No." I finally said. "No."

"Bella…" Emmett sighed. "It's probably just a matter of time until-"

"No, Goddamnit! No Emmett."

"Listen, we can put you and the kids and Carlisle and Esme in protective custody. We will go through other channels like the CIA. Just-"

"No I said." I paced back and forth thinking about everything.

He never gave up on me when his grandfather took me. He told me he would have gone to the ends of the Earth to find me. And I once told him I would never give up on him.

I would go to the ends of the Earth to find him.

I would do anything. _Anything._

And that was it. I _could_ do something in this situation that no one else could.

"I know who can help us."

Emmett and Garrett looked at one another as I tried to form my words.

"Who?" Garrett finally asked.

"Aro Volturi."

 *** &^%$#**

 **A/N:**

For those of you who like this strong, badass Bella. Me too. Get ready for more.

Loving writing this. I can't even explain. Thanks for all your kind words.

See you soon.

~AMJ


	21. Chapter 20- The Deal Part I

_**Chapter Twenty: The Deal Part I**_

" _ **Wanted Dead or Alive" by Bon Jovi**_

 _ **~Agent Cullen~**_

"One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten."

I pushed and pushed, sweat dripping from my beard as I made my muscles scream.

"Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one."

I had to get creative since my hands were still bound together. But I was able to do push-ups, squats, jumps and sit ups. I did everything I could in as many different ranges of motion that I could.

I had to get my strength back. I had to keep my focus. I had to be ready.

So I could fucking kill Zoraida and Eleazar and all of the rest of them when I had my chance.

My stomach burned as I did another fifty sit-ups and focused my ire, my anger, on the despicable people who had me here.

I wasn't going to go quietly into the night. I wasn't going to let them win.

I owed that to Bella, to Eric, to Lucy, to my brother, my sister, my parents—everyone.

Twisting my body I caught a glimpse of the scar on my side. I pulsed for a minute, letting the pain set in, watching as the angry red mark, though faded after many years, snaked around my abdomen.

 _Use it._

 _Let it drive you._

Her words echoed through my head.

 _Don't let them win._

When my muscles were finally spent and my breathing labored I drank from the bottle of water she had brought in an hour ago. I had my windows to do what I needed. I usually did it right after she left. Though they fed me and finally gave me pants and a blanket—after I told them I wouldn't be much good to them if I died of pneumonia—it still wasn't much.

But I pushed the hunger and the pain way. I could tell I had lost weight and strength. Yet I needed to keep my physical fitness up as much as possible.

I hadn't had a shower in days. As I tried to think back on how long I had been here, I determined it had been five nights since they took me in.

Today must have been the 28th.

I grabbed the sandwich that was on the tray and shoved it in my mouth. Then I noticed something else that was new: vitamins, or what appeared to be vitamins. I had to be careful, because it could be some type of drug that they would use to make me complacent.

I grabbed the vitamins and broke one open. It looked and smelled innocuous. But if they wanted to really give me something else, they could have slipped it in my water or in my sandwich. I decided to take them. I needed all the nourishment I could get.

Then I sat back and thought about everything. For a moment my mind drifted to Bella and the kids. A pain shot through my stomach and I had to push it away. I couldn't believe they were gone—not yet anyway.

Until I saw it for myself, I may never believe it. That was the one thing keeping me going, hope that they were waiting for me. Hope that Eric was basking in his Christmas gifts and Bella was spending time with our family and friends.

Hope.

But soon that hope moved to anger. I wanted to be there with them.

I was angry at myself for getting in this predicament. But I was angrier at the fact that I hadn't suspected Eleazar sooner, that my friendship with him had blinded me to his actions. And I couldn't help but wonder if that wasn't the case in other aspects of this entire investigation.

But before I could work through it any further, the door opened and Zoraida walked in.

"Well well Agent Cullen, what have you been doing in here?" She raised an eyebrow at me.

I had a new tactic that I had been trying the last two days. I was pretending to go along with their preposterous little plan. It was my only way out. Once I was out, then I could come up with something else. I just needed to get out of this cell where I had more possible weapons at my disposal

My glare fixed on her and I gave her my darkest look possible.

"Are you readying yourself as you should be? I knew you would come around. After all that wife of yours and your adorable little children are gone, what else do you have left?"

I growled at her.

 _No they're not._

 _They're not gone._

 _She's playing you._

I couldn't let her get to me, but I sure could be pissed that she spoke of my family that way. And I had to act as though I was flipping.

"I'm going to fucking destroy whoever killed them."

She smiled wickedly and then leaned close and traced her finger over my cheek, down my neck and chest toward my abdomen.

My stomach clenched from her touch, but not in a good way.

"Tell me Edward, were you really ever….satisfied with her." Zoraida smiled evilly and I just stared at her. "I bet you weren't. She was pretty and all, but you seem you like a man that would need… _more_."

 _Don't you dare talk about my wife that way. You're not half the woman she is._

Fury bubbled up in my chest, but I remained locked in place acting unfazed.

She leaned closer then, straddling my legs, my hands trapped under her. As she continued her tracing, I thought about the hundred ways I could flip her or incapacitate her, even in my state. But the problem was, if I tried to get away, I wouldn't be able to get far or run.

So I sat, and plotted how I was going to kill her once I had the chance instead.

"Yes…" she hissed. "Just think of how good we were together, how good we could be together again."

My jaw twitched. I couldn't say what I was really thinking because I would rather vomit everywhere. I remained quiet and stared blankly at her.

"You'll come around. I know you will." She put her hands on my face and turned my head to kiss me.

 _Fuck._

I couldn't move, but I didn't kiss her back. Instead I sat there, rigid and not moving an inch.

Her lips moved to my ear and I finally let out the breath I was holding. Suddenly the door opened again and my eyes traveled to the men walking in.

"Soon…" she whispered before stepping off of me and adjusting her clothes.

"Boys. Help Agent Cullen up. Unlock his feet, but not his hands, and clean him off. And pay attention. He could kill you in an instant." She instructed as they walked toward me.

They proceeded to strip me down and pour cold water over me and I jumped at the contact.

"A shower would be too much?" I grimaced as they handed me a sponge and some soap and I scrubbed down. I could see her staring and I felt more exposed than I ever had. But I couldn't let her have an edge on me. It was a fine line between playing along and letting her think I was entirely at her whim.

"Maybe in a while." Her eyebrow arched. "Right now I'm just enjoying the view."

"You should." I shot back, but then bit my tongue with the rest of what I wanted to say.

 _Because you'll never see it again._

Once they finished rinsing me and I toweled off. She went outside only to come back in and toss clothes at me. "Get dressed. But don't fucking try anything or else I'll give you more of the potion that you had before."

I shuddered. Whatever that shit was, it was nasty.

I pulled on the underwear, pants, socks and boots and then looked at her and held out my hands.

"I may be good, but I'm not a magician sweetheart." I jabbed and her eyes flashed.

She nodded though and they unlocked my hands so that I could put on the shirt and jacket.

It was all black, all non-descript, yet it fit me just fine.

I didn't really care. It just felt good to be semi clean and wearing clothes again.

"Time to go Agent Cullen." She said as she turned on her heel. The men secured me in my shackles yet again and I followed her out. I was flanked on either side, but as usual I made note of where I had been kept.

We walked down a long narrow hallway thirty paces, then up a dark stairway, fifteen steps, which twisted for another three steps and then a landing. A door opened and then suddenly I was encased in blackness and pushed outside. I could tell by the feel of the cool fresh air on my face and the change in smell.

My knees hit something and I growled as they pushed me down and into what sounded like a Brincks type truck based on the hallow sound that echoed upon my impact. The cover was removed from my head, and as I suspected it was exactly that. I sat on the floor of the back of the truck with the meatheads and Zoraida around me.

I glanced around and I could see her watching me, though I didn't want to give anything away. Instead I thought about my options. Clearly she wanted me, and for some godforsaken reason, she thought I would want her back in time.

So she cared about me on some level. I needed to play on that.

I began to rub my ankles and my wrists where the shackles had been for the last five days. I rubbed my neck then and clenched and unclenched my jaw. I rolled my neck around and tried to roll my shoulders as well as the truck hit bump after bump. With each one, I over exaggerated the impact.

I saw her looking at me out of the corner of my eye and I knew I might have her.

But to no avail, at least not yet.

Sighing, I finally looked at her directly. "Where are you taking me?"

"To see someone."

"Well that's not very helpful." I said snarkily.

"Don't worry Agent Cullen. Your services will be needed soon." She arched an eyebrow at me and I blanched.

When the truck pulled to a stop, my head was back in a bag and I was being escorted out again. I could smell sea salt and hear waves crashing. The wind was brisk and I knew were near the ocean, likely a port.

I continued to count my paces and turns so I could know just how far I had to go to get out should I have a chance to get away.

When my ass hit a chair and I nearly tipped it back, blinding light met my eyes again.

"Agent Cullen. So good to see you again." I blinked, trying to find the owner of the voice as my eyes took in the office I was in.

I could only see his back and his black slicked hair as he made himself a drink. But when he turned and his black beady eyes stared back at me something else made perfect sense.

There was someone else I was going to have to kill besides the man standing before me.

"Kebi." I stated as I took him in.

"Thought I was dead did you?" He sneered and I swallowed as I looked around the room.

Marcus and Caius, Russo, and several of the men I'd seen at the club as well.

 _Well fuck._

This was the first time I'd seen Russo in Italy and I knew what he was here for.

 _To make sure I didn't do anything out of line._

I studied him for a moment and I couldn't help but notice the resemblance he had to Bella's brother. Though I had only seen Brad in pictures, Russo was definitely related, albeit with sandy red hair.

Suddenly I realized I hadn't answered Kebi and I snapped my eyes back to his face. But he apparently didn't expect me to answer as he continued on anyway.

"You should have stayed in New York, Agent Cullen. This is always such a _fun_ time of year there." He said as he swished the drink around in his hand.

 _What the hell did he mean by that?_

"You should have stayed in the crack in the ground you crawled into after I busted up your little operation." I spat back.

"Oh but it wasn't a small operation now was it?" He took a sip. "Though not as large as this one is going to be, but—" He shrugged then and I wasn't sure what to think of that.

"I'm not sure what you mean. You'll have to enlighten me."

"The takedown of your grandfather was rather impressive. But you still missed the mark on the largest overall contributors didn't you?"

I remained silent, as clearly they wanted me for something. I just wasn't sure what it was yet.

"Such as?" I questioned.

"Please Agent Cullen. You may have focused in organized crime, but you know some of the most dangerous players in the world. You know who it was that they were ultimately going to work with to transport biological weapons. The Dracs, Il Leone, Volturi, they had all the connections. They just didn't have the interest in that."

I thought quickly, and knowing his known contacts and background, I could only assume he meant Al Queda, ISIS, and Boko Haram among others. I was instantly agitated. Those groups didn't care about black market materials; they dealt in it, but they cared more about terrorist activities. Which meant, he was trying to connect them with players in the U.S. to get weapons in.

 _Fuck._

"What does that have to do with me?" I finally asked.

"Well you're going to help us of course?"

"Not a chance. That wasn't part of the proposal."

"And what was the proposal?" Kebi challenged then.

But before I could answer, someone else did.

"What did I say it all came back to Edward?"

My eyebrows rose as I heard the voice walk in from the other side of the room.

"Eleazar."

I couldn't believe after all the time that I had known him that he was even in the room with these thugs. But what had he said. It all came back to one thing.

Blood.

But it was more than that wasn't it. It was about greed, money and power. Yet something struck me then that didn't square. What had he told me in the cell? That he really just thought of them all as thugs.

Maybe he didn't want to go into business with Kebi. He fancied himself a modern day vigilante. I pondered it as I looked at the two men, so starkly different yet exactly the same.

Then I came to the realization that I was here for another reason.

I was here because of who I was, because of my skills, because of what only I could provide to this _operation_.

And this was a set-up.

For me to prove my loyalty.

If I had really flipped, if I was really going to join his faction, I had to prove it.

So it really was about blood in the end. About making it run red as only I was so good at.

I clenched my jaw as I realized his intentions. The disgust with myself that I had worked so hard to push away seeped into my veins.

"Boys, why don't you relieve my dear friend of his confines." Eleazar motioned then.

As the cuffs came off, I shook out my hands and my feet and welcomed the feel of not having the iron on me. I rubbed at my bruised and chaffed wrists and then sat back and crossed my arms over my chest.

"Tell me gentlemen, how exactly do you plan to utilize my skills?" I asked.

Eleazar stepped forward then and I glanced at the eyes around the room. There were way too many of them for me to take out or escape, but I could bide my time. They would make a mistake at some point.

I looked back at him as he leaned toward me to say something only I could hear.

"Remember how I said you could avenge them Edward…" he murmured and my mind snapped at what he was talking about.

I had put it out of my consciousness, out of any thinking that they could be gone. And I was going to continue doing that.

 _But…_

"Yes." I said succinctly as my jaw twitched and my fingers flexed.

"Well…now's your chance." He stood back then and walked over by Kebi and made himself a drink.

"You see Agent Cullen…" he only called me Edward when it was just the two of us, "I believe Mr. Kebi may have something to share with you."

Kebi looked at Eleazar strangely and I knew I was right. But if I had to do this, I was going to get as much information as possible out of them.

"I'm not sure I follow Eleazar. Has Mr. Kebi wronged me personally?" I tested.

Kebi shifted his stance and glanced around the room. He started and stopped talking a couple of times before he looked at his two henchmen to his left. The problem was they were entirely outnumbered with the dozen or so other people in the room.

"I…I think you must be mistaken about something Eleazar."

I couldn't believe it. It was like a two snakes turning on one another.

"Oh no Amun, why don't you explain to Agent Cullen here, how you ordered a hit on his family."

My ears perked up, because "ordered a hit" didn't necessarily mean killed. But I wasn't going to give that tidbit away.

"Eleazar really what are you playing at?" Kebi was getting fearful and I saw his henchmen getting twitchy.

But I needed to play along. I pretended to wring my hands and looked at them evilly.

"Agent Cullen." Eleazar walked over and handed me something then.

The smooth blade gleamed in the light as he passed it over to me. It was surreal to see it, as he had given me the same knife as a gift so many years ago after completing my "mission" in Madrid. I grabbed it, all the while realizing I was coming full circle in expectation of completing a different kind of mission.

I swallowed as I looked at it. I knew what this meant. I was expected to take out Kebi and his men. But unlike years past, when I would have just followed blindly to orders, I needed to know my reason.

I needed to know just exactly what he did.

I stood up then and stalked over to Kebi, my height and build clearly outmatching his. He looked up at me in trepidation. But I wanted more than just an order for a hit.

I wanted everything. If I had five minutes to own this, then I was going to do just that.

Because surely the finish would be quick.

"How did you get involved with my grandfather?" I asked and he tipped his head, not expecting my question.

"I had ties with the Middle East and we had a lot of buyers for the…goods."

The girls. So he really was one of the worst as I'd always expected.

I peppered him with questions then, and he answered quickly and without delay to each of them. Yet while he answered and the attention was on him, I sneakily put the knife in my jacket.

He had used my brother as his pony boy originally at Reycon. Then eventually he got a man named Jenks involved in the business. He had worked with my grandfather, the Buxton Group men, Johan—all of them to run black market trade all over the world. But some of his other ties were extremely alarming because they were the worst of the worst, the ones responsible for 9/11 and other terrorist attacks.

Perhaps the most interesting was his answer to my last question.

"Why come back now? Where have you been for the last 4 years?"

"C'mon Agent Cullen, you know it takes that long to build back up to something like this?"

"Something like what?" I snapped.

 _What the fuck was I missing_?

"Well this operation of course. It's not like things such as London or Paris or 9/11 happen overnight after all?"

I froze.

 _A terrorist attack?_

 _Where?_

Suddenly my stomach rolled and I immediately thought about what he'd said earlier.

This was always such a _fun_ time of year.

New York City.

New Year's Eve.

It was only three days away.

 _Fuck._

They were planning an attack. But why?

I had to flip this somehow. I had to get more out of him.

"Why should I care? If my family is dead?" I said then, the words catching in my throat as I said them. But instead I leveled my glare on him and those around me.

"Because you still won't want thousands of innocent people to die now do you?" He challenged and I stood stock still, taking in what he said.

Until he continued and I lost all concentration, all thought, all self-preservation and self-control whatsoever.

"Oh and they are. I was on the receiving end of that call myself. Such a shame, such nice people your parents. Your father always was such a good person to work with. He just was too morally steadfast this time. And of course that pretty wife and children of yours." He said nastily then.

 _My parents!_

 _Bella._

 _Eric._

 _Lucy._

Before I could stop myself, I had his neck in my hands and I was slamming his head against the desk.

I wouldn't need a fucking knife anyway.

Henchmen number one tried to pull a gun and I kicked it away and with two quick punches knocked him to the ground, only to immediately flip over and take out number two's legs. I jumped from the floor and cleared two's gun as I struck him in the chest, knocking out his wind and then quickly flipping and kicking one in the face. As he howled in pain I noticed Kebi coming around.

But I wouldn't have that.

Without another thought, I used the move that I rarely ever used. Eleven. I jammed two fingers into Kebi's throat and ripped his carotid artery, and then finished the job similarly with one and two.

Then I stepped back.

And caught my breath.

The room was silent except for the last gasps from the three men on the ground before me.

My chest heaved and my hand twitched around the blood dripping down it, until I looked over at Marcus and Caius who looked fucking scared and like they were going to piss their pants.

It was Eleazar who finally broke the silence as he gently stepped between me and them.

"Yes, my dear Edward, and that is why you must work for us. Why your skills would be such a shame to waste."

My brain was in shambles as I took in the rest of the faces in the room. They had all just stood there as I killed three men.

But of course they did.

Because it was planned.

 _Fuck._

 _What had I done?_

Eleazar had said I would be able to avenge their deaths. Kebi had ordered their deaths, but I still didn't know why?

 _Why would he want my family dead?_

I needed to make that my motivation. I needed to have a reason if I was going to play this out.

Because for some reason, despite what Kebi said or Eleazar said, I didn't feel in my heart that Bella was gone.

I would have felt it.

I would have _felt_ it, in every part of my soul.

Yet on a twisted and unimaginable level, I didn't care about killing Kebi. Because even if he hadn't succeeded in hurting my family, he was scum. He was a thug as Eleazar said and he was in with some of the biggest scumbags in the world.

Soberingly, I realized that made me no better than Eleazar and his justifications. I finally took a deep breath and turned to glare at Eleazar.

"I will work with you, but I want answers."

"Fine fine. Come Edward. It's time we go anyhow."

It was then I heard the sound of a helicopter and saw the four sets of guns pointed at me and I knew there was no escape at that moment.

Even with the knife, that I realized was still wedged inside my jacket.

That was a feat even for me.

"Come. Let's get you some food and some sleep and then I'll tell you my plan." Eleazar said.

*&^%$#

 _Her soft body moved under me as my lips trailed down her neck. Her hands moved down my back, scratching, pulling, reaching for something._

" _Edward…" she sighed as I kissed the top of her breast until moving lower and lower. "Yes."_

" _I want you."_

" _You're going to have to be more specific." I teased her as my tongue laved at her navel._

" _God, you kill me. I want you." She nearly growled at me._

" _How so Liefje?" I continued my ministrations as she squirmed and panted._

" _Goddamnit Edward, stop teasing me." She laughed and I looked up at her. Her hair was wild, her body flushed in the light of the moon from our window. Fuck she was beautiful._

" _You want my tongue, or you want this. I moved back up as I ground my dick into her."_

" _Don't play with me. Yes I want you all the time, in every way. You know that." She arched an eyebrow at me. But she was needy. I could see it in her eyes and the pink of her cheeks._

" _Well I think you still need to be more specific." I retorted and started back down again._

" _Fuck." She gasped as I continued to tease._

" _All you have to do is tell me. What do you want Bella?"_

 _Her eyes flashed to mine, because I didn't use her name that often. I usually used Dutch when I referred to her in my terms of endearment._

" _I want you back."_

 _I want you back._

 _I want you back._

 _I'm here._

 _I'm waiting._

 _I want you back._

My eyes snapped open as my convoluted memory raced through my brain. How I could be thinking of _that_ right now, I wasn't sure, but I was. It was the night Lucy was conceived. We were sure of it. She'd been busy with work during the holiday season and then with the family events, it had been a couple weeks since we'd been together. By the time we'd had the chance on New Year's Eve, we were desperate for one another, hence Bella's impatience with me.

New Year's Eve almost exactly one year ago.

But something else struck me about the "memory." Clearly that wasn't how it ended as Lucy was the result. No, it was the new ending.

 _I want you back._

 _I'm here._

 _I'm waiting._

 _I want you back._

What did it mean? She wasn't dead. She was here. She was trying to tell me something in her own way. She was alive and she wanted me back with her.

And I wanted to be back with her so badly I ached. In _every_ way.

I shifted in my seat as I took in my surroundings.

We were on Eleazar's private jet. I was bound to my seat in my own room in the back so that I couldn't take anyone out while we were flying back. Surely the group with us was fucking petrified after my display at the warehouse in Naples as I had come to learn we were at.

In fact, it was the warehouse connected to Mancini's old shoe factory as I later noticed once we took off from the helicopter on the roof. We'd flown off the mainland only to take Eleazar's private jet from Sicily to the States.

That's when Eleazar and I finally had a conversation about what was happening.

I was right. It was a terrorist attack.

On New York City. On New Year's Eve.

At least that's what Eleazar had said.

" _See, I'm really not evil Edward. I do have good intentions."_

 _I knew there was no convincing him otherwise. But I still didn't understand. He had said that he wouldn't take out innocent people, so how could he condone this._

" _Oh I'm not condoning it. But it will get me what I need in the end."_

" _And what's that?"_

" _The facility in Trenton."_

 _Trenton. Why did that sound familiar to me?_

 _Wait. That's where Biers had told me they were planning to send a shipment and blow up a facility that could potentially take out ten city blocks and was near a power plant._

 _Biers, that no-good double-crossing traitor._

 _I bet he didn't have a son either._

 _But I digressed._

" _What will you gain from it?"_

" _Well money of course. Billions to be exact."_

 _My fingers clenched._

" _You see Edward. I learned a long time ago, that if something terrible happened, then I could likely profit from it. Just like if I used the FBI to help me take out my own competitors, then I could profit from it. It's really every man for himself. It's not like it used to be when my father or Franco were the heads. No one cares about loyalty anymore. Every man uses his organization against another and then when one is taken out, a vacuum of power arises. Someone new steps in. It's like the game of RISK."_

 _I shook my head as he said it. What a cynical way to view the world._

 _Yet something wasn't adding up. He did care about his blood. Zoraida was his sister and clearly they were working together. And he cared about Franco. But what about the others?_

" _You said to me earlier that you didn't order the hit on my family because you'd told Franco you never would. Does the same go for Volturi?"_

" _Well his sons are my cousins you see, so that's not quite so simple."_

" _They may be, but he's not." I responded._

 _Eleazar's eyes flashed and I clenched my fists. "True."_

" _Why now? Why me?" I finally asked._

" _Because now there's more at stake." His eyebrows rose. "In the Middle East. In Asia. Don't you want your country to be prepared? They're so unprepared as you well know Edward. We need to show them."_

 _He went on to explain to me the facility he was planning to sponsor in Trenton—the Reycon facility that apparently my father had been vehemently against. But he thought they needed it to develop counteragents for biological attacks._

" _So we're going to take out thousands so that we can save millions." I said. Not believing what I was saying, but goading him in._

 _He just raised his eyebrows, but didn't answer. "Only we can do this. We can work our way in and out of organizations, you and me and Zoraida. I can't burn out all of the old contacts because there are so many, but I have them under my thumb and I don't need to."_

" _Come…work with me. You can be whoever you want to be. You're no longer a father. You're no longer FBI because you've taken out an Agent. You're not a son as your family will think you're dead. You can be whoever you want to be. You can be yourself Edward."_

" _How do you expect me to do that if you keep me tied up? Only let me out when you need me? You can't go with me all the time old man."_

 _Again his eyes stirred with something and I knew there was more to it. But for then all he did was shrug and proceeded to get up._

" _Get some sleep Edward. It's going to be a long few days."_

I blinked again, thinking about our conversation. It wasn't really about money or blood then. Well it was, but it was about what those two things were tied to.

Power.

Eleazar wanted to play God. He wanted to be the one pulling all the strings. Sure he could make enormous amounts of money off of it. But he truly fashioned himself a modern day vigilante. Somehow he'd deluded himself into thinking I was of a similar frame of mind. That I would go to ends of the Earth to do the same.

But he didn't know the new me, did he? He'd not seen me, other than once, since I'd retired from undercover duty. He'd underestimated the love I had for my family.

I could feel the plane start to descend and I knew time was running short. It had been evening when we left, which meant it was likely the middle of the night in the States on the 29th.

I had two days.

Two days until I had to stop a deadly attack.

Two days until I needed to figure a way out of this situation.

Two days until I had to find a way to get back to my family.

 *** &^%$#**

 **A/N:**

Shorter chapter, but we're rolling now. Hope you enjoyed it.

~AMJ


	22. Chapter 21- The Deal Part II

_**Chapter Twenty: The Deal Part II**_

" _ **Take Me Out" by Franz Ferdinand**_

 _ **~Bella Cullen~**_

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Emmett whispered to me as we walked down the long narrow hallway.

"I have to do this Em." I said steeling my resolve.

It had been two days. Two days since all hell broke loose and my family was split apart. Two days since Emmett and Garrett and only a handful of others that Garrett trusted had gone rogue and left the FBI. Two days since I had any news of Edward even if it did come from Riley Biers.

Though the different branches of police and security force of the U.S. government didn't always like to play nice with one another, there were enough people who worked in different agencies over their careers that they trusted.

Personally, I had enlisted the help of Santi as he was ex-CIA and Special Forces and I trusted him. Garrett had enlisted a couple of former CIA agents who were working in London as well as Tanya to come back to NYC. He'd also managed to call back Seth and Liam, who apparently had been doing nothing but going after one wild goose chase and another for the last six weeks.

Carlisle and Esme took Eric and Lucy to a secret location in Vermont. Alice and Jasper and their kids went to Maine, and Rosalie and Ethan along with Kate and their brand new baby girl Caroline, who had only been with them for a week, went to upstate New York to stay with her parents. They were the least likely targets but Emmet and Garrett still wanted to get them out of the city. All were with former CIA and FBI agents that Garrett and Emmett trusted.

Just what they wanted to be doing over their Christmas breaks.

But not me, I had stayed behind because somehow I knew this all came back to me.

It wasn't vanity. It wasn't some inflated sense of pride.

It was just the way it was. It was always about me.

Me and him.

Him and me.

For whatever reasons, the stars had aligned and my one true soul mate was also the one person who could only ensnare us further into this web. Unless we figured out a way out of it.

Together.

 _I love you._

 _I will find you._

 _I will get you back._

 _I will love you forever._

I continued you my internal mantra that I had been saying for the last few days as we walked through a long narrow underground bunker in the CIA's New York Division office. I was obviously still "dead" and couldn't be seen. But these were all Edward's people, therefore they were my people. They all knew him or had worked with him in some fashion or knew and worked with Garrett or Emmett and could be trusted implicitly.

I took a deep breath as the door loomed before me and then let it out as I walked in.

Ten pairs of eyes met mine as I closed the door behind me. Some of them widened when they saw my face. Surely, many had seen coverage of the funeral on television, and most had come in simply because Garrett and Emmett asked them to. But the importance of the ones who were here was that none of them were on the investigation in the last six weeks in the States. None of them could have been the leak to put the hit on me.

The first to step forward though was Seth.

"Bella, oh my God. It's so good to see you." He engulfed me in a hug and lifted me up only to set me back down on my feet.

"What the fu-I mean, how are you here? I only saw the papers when I was boarding for my flight back and I was losing my mind the whole way over with what Charlie and Mom might be doing?"

"We have a lot to explain Seth. It's okay, Dad and Sue know I'm alive, they just think the kids and I are in protective custody."

He sighed and nodded his head before pulling me into another quick hug and taking his own deep breath.

I turned then to the rest of the room as my step-brother had garnered all of my attention.

"Bella, it's good to see you. I hope you've been vel." Tanya said in her thick accent and gave me a hug.

"How are Mila and Gavi?" I asked.

"They're good. But more time for zat later, no?" She said, keeping me moving.

Nodding, I made my way around the room and shook hands with the other agents. Liam I had met, and obviously Santi and one of his very best friends from the CIA, Rico. Then three other CIA agents that Garrett and Liam knew from London: Alistair, Makenna and Siobhan. Finally, three more agents that were friends of Emmett's and Edward's, Brady, Rachel and Rebecca.

After everyone was seated and filled up on coffee Garrett started in.

"I'm sure many of you are wondering why you're here. Honestly, I'm surprised I'm here. But this is something that must be kept in the utmost secrecy."

For over an hour Garrett went on to explain his knowledge of the Volturi mission, then the Draconi and Cullen takedown and finally this last mission where Edward went to Spain, Riley to Italy and Liam and Seth to Switzerland.

I was a bit awestruck by the way the agents moved through the process, recalling memories from the depths of their brains and filling in different pieces of different missions. It was then that I realized why these agents had been brought together. They were all connected in some way as well, but not like Edward had been.

It was glaringly obvious that he was the one tied to all of it, though I was largely as well.

Garrett finally finished his second cup of coffee and stood back, leaning against the wall. Liam was the first one to stand up and take action.

"I think we need a timeline here." Liam quickly grabbed a marker and laid out everything from the missions on top.

Then we set out all of the different players that we knew of and when they were taken down or died, starting with Franco Mancini. From what we could tell, the demise of the larger system started in the mid-90s and went through present day.

We all sat back and looked at it, Edward hadn't entered the picture until after 9/11.

But from what Garrett had found, Eleazar came in right after Mancini died. How he came in we were still trying to figure out. It wasn't as easy since we didn't have access to the FBI System, but with the CIA agents working with us, we had access to their system and backchannels.

We mapped out the connections and missing pieces and they were planning to leave to try to put more of it together. They wanted to know exactly what we needed before I went to meet with Aro.

Before I had to potentially make a deal with the devil.

As Alistair and Makenna walked upstairs, I took a break to go to the bathroom and throw some water on my face. It was early in the morning on the 29th and I was exhausted. I didn't know how much longer this was going to last, but I felt like something big was coming.

The door to the bathroom opened and Rachel stepped in. She gave me half smile as she used the restroom and then came out to wash her hands as I was putting my hat back on and fixing myself. I wanted to seem as focused and up to the challenge as all of these agents. But the fact of the matter was, I was way out of my league and I needed to follow their lead.

"Well Mrs. Cullen, this is a first I must say." Rachel said as she dried her hands.

"How so?" I asked as I turned to look at her.

She wasn't upset, more perplexed than anything.

"It's definitely not normal for a spouse to get involved in this way. At least if they're a civilian."

I shrugged. "I will do whatever I can to bring him home safely. He would—and did—do the same for me."

"I understand that, but don't all spouses feel that way?" She posed.

"Perhaps. But I think this is a unique situation."

She shrugged and leaned back against the vanity. "You know I went through training with him."

"Oh yeah?"

"I'm sure this will come as no surprise to you, and no offense, but all of us female agents wanted to get some of that." She joked and I couldn't help but laugh.

"None taken." I chuckled.

 _My husband was hot, what could I say?_

She smiled, but then it turned back to a straight expression. "The thing was, he was always so focused he didn't give _anything_ the time of day. I've never met someone who could remember so much, and study so much and stay so aggressive on a topic as he can."

I let her continue, because I felt like she was going somewhere with this.

"We lost touch over the years. We had a few small missions together, standard FBI stuff, not his usual type of work. But you get pulled in on day to day stuff too even when you're not on assignment. The thing that always struck me about him were his instincts in the field. If he knows something, he will figure it out and find a way out, before anyone else sees the play. But when he wasn't in the field, he was consumed by his blindness to his brother, to his family, to those he trusted. I can't help but wonder if that's not the side of him that they finally played on."

As Rachel frowned and looked away, I contemplated what she said. Then something popped in my brain.

My eyes went wide and my breath caught in my chest.

"No way." I whispered. "No fucking way."

"What?" She asked.

But without responding to her I ran out of the room and back down the hallway. I burst through the door of the room and startled the five people in there including Emmett and Seth.

"Bella, shit, you're lucky we didn't shoot you." Emmett said.

Yet I barely heard him as I stared at the board and thought about what they had all said about Edward throughout our debriefing.

 _Who would care the most if Edward went missing?_

 _Who had invested more in him than any of his family or friends?_

 _Who would have access and inside information that no one else would have?_

I finally knew. It finally all made sense.

Without a word I walked up to the two timelines that were written next to each other and wrote one word between them.

Fortnight.

"It can't be." Emmett said then.

"Why not?" I asked. Thinking further about what Rachel said in the bathroom, I was even more convinced.

"Maybe that's why I'm here." I pushed further. "Maybe you needed someone completely from the outside to see this."

Emmett sat down then and put his hands on his head only to scrub them down his face. He shook his head back and forth, his eyes glancing across the whiteboard. Finally he sighed, "you might be right."

Everyone was silent as he collected his thoughts and his eyes danced.

"Remember how I was assigned to watch you but they didn't tell Edward."

"Yes." I nodded.

"And then when Edward went to D.C., that was when Raven came after you."

"Yes." I nodded again.

All of the chips were falling into place. All of the puzzle pieces were fitting together as Emmett and Garrett named off a number of other coincidences.

"I still don't understand why Fortnight would do it. I've seen him take down hundreds of organizations. I've had conversations with him. He hates them."

"Maybe that's exactly it. Maybe he was using Edward as his tool to take down each of these organizations?" I said.

We all sat silent for a moment, until a thought came to me. "What was Eleazar's role?"

I looked directly at Garrett then and his eyes met mine.

Finally he sighed and stood up. "Eleazar financed a lot of operations from the mid-90s to today."

"Why?"

"I don't know that. But I do know that he knows Fortnight."

I pondered for a minute. "Do you think Fortnight used him because he couldn't get the funding elsewhere?"

"Possibly."

"Then maybe they both have some contrived notion of doing good, of going above and beyond the organization—the FBI. Sure they used it as an arm for what they were doing, but maybe it was bigger than that."

I went on to explain how Fortnight had been very upset that Edward wasn't coming back and that he had offered him opportunities multiple times over the last few years. But Edward always turned him down.

"And now they have that entire program named after him."

"In an attempt to replace him, or replicate him." Garrett finished.

"Exactly."

Everyone sat silently for a beat longer as they mulled over the startling revelations.

"Wait. That's it. That has to be it." Garrett suddenly jumped up.

"What?"

"His motivation." He began to pace and then looked at Alistair. "You have secure access right?"

Alistair nodded, "yeah why."

"I need you to run something."

Alistair quickly fired up the laptop in front of him and we all waited with baited breath. Garrett leaned over his shoulder after he was signed in and then typed in something. He squinted and then stood back and thought for a moment before typing in something else.

"Who is that?" Alistair asked.

The rest of us leaned forward.

"Bella do you remember in your grandmother's journals how she mentioned that she traded information on a hit on a Congressman. She gave the FBI information on Volturi in exchange for getting her out."

"Yes, but I don't think he was ever named in her journal?" I stated, perplexed.

"Well, I think I know who that Congressman was."

He flipped the screen around and we all leaned in to look at the name.

 _Congressman Steven S. Fortnight of Trenton, New Jersey_ , DOB 1/23/09, DOD 8/02/53.

The room was completely silent for what seemed like an hour. Until finally, I stepped back and grabbed my jacket.

"Bella what are you doing?" Emmett asked.

"I think it's time we have that follow-up visit with dear old Mr. Volturi."

*&^%$#

As the black Tahoe raced down the side street, I thought about what all of it could mean. Did this all stem back to the "ring", as we had termed it, killing Fortnight's father? I thought so. Then the only thing left was to determine how Fortnight and Eleazar planned to use Edward. Why would they take him?

The Tahoe screeched to a halt in front of an old church. We were in a run-down part of Queens, at a secret location so that no one would see me and no one would see him coming or going. The agents had worked through back channels to arrange the meeting and all of them made the trip. But it would only be me, Garrett and Emmett in the sanctuary. Seth wanted to go as well, but he chose to stay in an elevated position for where we were meeting to keep a close eye on things.

The CIA agents had helped me into a better disguise rather than just putting on a hooded sweatshirt and hiding my face. I had on a blonde wig with long curls and bangs and much different from my normal color, dark make-up and large glasses. Then I wore black jeans, a black fitted shirt, a bulletproof vest and all covered by a black leather jacket. I looked like Victoria Gotti, but I guessed that was the point.

I hadn't been to church in ages. Though my grandmother was religious and I would attend with her as a child, I didn't go after she died. My father had fallen out of step with his faith when he and my mother divorced and I never went back to it. But as I walked down the aisle and sat in the front pew, I couldn't help but find it a bit comforting. I leaned forward and clasped my hands together as I waited.

I had tried so hard to push everything down, not to think about Edward or our children for the last two days and only focus on how I could help. But in the quiet of the church, with the smell of incense permeating the air, my heart ached as I thought of them and my mind wandered back to not even a year ago…

 _I pulled my caramel sauce from the burner and set it on the counter next to the cheesecake to cool. I couldn't wait to share my news with Edward. We'd been trying for a few months to have another baby and it seemed our New Year's wishes had been answered._

 _I'd taken the afternoon off from work and gone to the doctor to confirm what I had suspected officially. The test came back positive, and based on my last period I was likely six weeks along._

" _Bella?" I heard Edward's voice as his footsteps grew closer and rounded the corner to the kitchen._

" _Hi, how was your day." I leaned up to kiss him and laid my head against his chest. I was so excited to tell him. Eric was spending the night at Carlisle and Esme's and Edward had finished training that afternoon since it was the last Friday of the month._

" _Mmmmm," he kissed me more deeply and I let myself get lost in the feel of his lips on mine and his strong arms around me. "It was good. What do we have here?" He peeked around me and I saw his eyes light up like Christmas morning as he saw the cheesecake._

" _Cheesecake?" He clapped his hands together excitedly. "What's the occasion?"_

" _Do I need an occasion to make your favorite?" I smirked as I walked over to drizzle the caramel sauce over it._

" _No, but usually it means something good." He teased as he wrapped his arms around me and his hands wandered up and down my currently flat stomach."_

 _I shivered at his touch, my pregnancy hormones already kicking in. In fact it had been one of the signs that tipped me off as I had been insatiable the last week or so. Not that Edward had complained._

" _Where's Eric?" He murmured as his lips kissed their way down my neck._

" _At your parents." I gasped when he got to that spot, right at the juncture of my neck and shoulder._

" _So you're telling me I have you all to myself?" He asked wickedly, his hands cupping my chest as he ground into my back._

" _You, me and this cheesecake." I teased._

" _Now_ that _, sounds delectable." He groaned as he continued his ministrations, sending my body into an absolute frenzy._

 _He turned me around and lifted me up on the counter as he crashed his lips to mine then. His hands cupped my ass and pulled me against him. I could feel every inch of him, hard as steel, between my legs. I wanted him to take me right there on the counter, but I had plans._

 _I tugged on his hair and pulled him away from me for a minute, seeing the pout on his face._

" _Go to the living room and I'll bring you a piece."_

" _What if I just want the cheesecake for dessert? Maybe I want you as my main entrée."_

 _Jesus, this man._

" _Maybe you can have both. But go sit for a minute."_

" _Fine." He grumbled and then kissed me hard once again and ground himself against me. "But don't make me wait too long."_

" _Oh I won't."_

 _He walked to the dining room and I could hear him taking off his watch and setting his wallet and keys on the side table. As I cut the cheesecake so that he could easily see the pink and blue ribbons of coloring inside, I smiled to myself. He was going to be ecstatic. He had wanted to start trying again sooner, but I hadn't been ready. When I finally said I was ready on my birthday, he'd taken his job very seriously in trying to get me pregnant._

 _Well it worked this time._

 _I heard Fleetwood Mac come over the stereo and I drizzled more caramel sauce over the cheesecake so that he would have to bite into it to see the color._

 _As I rounded the corner I stopped for a moment and stared. His black t-shirt was taut across his strong shoulders, and my eyes traveled down his muscular form. He was standing with is back to me, flipping through the iPod and sipping a drink. I noticed he had made me one too and I chuckled, knowing that would be an immediate giveaway if I didn't drink it._

" _Join me." I asked as I went to the living room._

 _He turned and his eyes caught mine as he followed me to the couch._

 _He sat and put both our drinks on the coffee table. Then he pulled me down onto his lap and took the cheesecake from me._

 _Without another word, he took a bite and groaned at the flavor. "Damn woman you do know how to make a mean cheesecake."_

" _Bite?" He offered._

 _I nodded and took the bite and then licked the caramel off my lips as his eyes darkened._

" _Fuck Liefje." He shimmied a bit under me and I grabbed the plate from him._

"This _cheesecake is extra special though." I smirked as I cut the piece in half with my fork and turned it to him._

 _He looked at it then. His eyes blinking a few times until his lips slowly raised into a smile._

" _Bella?" His eyes looked a bit watery and I couldn't help but do the same._

 _I smiled back and bit my lip and nodded._

" _When?" He set the cheesecake down on the table and turned me so that I was straddling his lap._

" _Today. I took the afternoon off work and went to the doctor."_

" _Seriously. You hadn't said anything so I was starting to think it just didn't happen again."_

" _Nope. Six weeks. Congratulations Daddy." I smiled and his eyes softened._

 _He put his hands in my hair and kissed me tenderly as I leaned into him._

" _I'm so happy Liefje. I can't even…" he trailed off and looked away for a moment, his eyes still shining, and then looked back at me. "I hope it's a girl and she looks just like you."_

 _I chuckled, because our boy was all him in so many ways. Other than having my eyes. "I hope she has some of you too."_

 _My lips met his again and what started as tender turned needy. Edward growled as I pushed down against him. "Now how about that entrée, we can have the rest of the cheesecake later to celebrate." Edward said huskily into my ear._

" _Definitely later."_

My mind snapped back to where I was then as I heard footsteps shuffling towards me. Had it really been less than a year? It seemed like I had lived a lifetime in the last four months since Lucy had been born. Yet merely a year ago, we were a family of three and she wasn't even in existence.

I let out a breath as I leaned back and turned to the sound of the feet.

The shuffling stopped abruptly and he gasped as his eyes took me in.

He placed his hand over his heart as he looked at me. Clearly knowing who I was despite my disguise, because for those who knew me and knew my grandmother, I still had the same eyes.

"How?" He looked around and then back at me. He looked even older than the last time I had seen him. He looked sick, and I couldn't help but wonder if something wasn't going on with him.

"Sit." I gestured, though not unkindly. I needed information and he was the only person that I could get it from.

I leaned forward, clasping my hands again as I thought about where to start.

Finally I turned to him and I could see him studying me. "You're supposed to be dead." He murmured. "I wanted to go to the funeral, but they wouldn't let me." He sighed.

"Who wouldn't?" I asked.

"The FBI."

I sighed, knowing we were right, knowing we were on to something.

"I'm not surprised." But that wasn't what I wanted to talk about.

"I need some answers and I can't give you much in return."

"Okay…" He drug out his response.

"How did you get out of prison?" I said carefully.

He sat back and crossed his arms. Then he looked around seeing Emmett standing in the front of the sanctuary and Garrett at the back.

"I cut a deal."

"With who?"

"The FBI. If I gave up some of my contacts in Europe then I would be released. I'm…"

He leaned forward then and started coughing, that same nasty cough as the last time, and I knew I was right.

"You're sick aren't you?" I asked.

"Yes."

"What is it?"

"Lung cancer. The doctors have given me two months." He wheezed as he finally caught his breath.

"But you're not fighting it." He was in his eighties, but he was a true Italian and still had a head full of dark peppered hair despite his age.

"No. I'm old. I've lived my life and I've made my bed. But I never wanted to do the types of things that they did. I just wanted to make money pure and simple."

"Are you trying to atone before him?" I motioned to the altar. "Is that what you're saying?"

"Maybe." He shrugged.

"Who was the deal with?"

"The Director authorized it. I don't know his name."

"Fortnight." I stated and his eyes flashed with something.

"Yes…" He drew out his answer again.

"Aro, I need to know something from you and I need you to be straight with me. If you care about me at all, care about my children at all, as you have said you do. Then I need to know about Edward. What do you know?"

"He's alive. I know that." He looked at me strangely.

I let out a breath and closed my eyes. I knew he was. I _knew_ it. But I needed more.

"But…" He continued and I looked back at him. "They have him, under their thumb and he's been working with them."

"What do you mean?" I asked with trepidation.

"My sons. They have been…getting into their organization. The same people that took Edward. That was part of the deal."

"Eleazar and Zoraida."

"Yes. How did you?"

"Aro when you made the deal with Fortnight, what was it you had to give up?"

"My sons had to agree to work with Eleazar and Zoraida. They're planning something big. I guaranteed that I would get my sons into their organization because of our family ties and they gave me my freedom. I'm not a danger to anyone now anyhow." He said as he began coughing again.

I couldn't tell him that Fortnight was bad. And from his perspective he didn't think that Eleazar and Zoraida were working with the FBI. So Fortnight must have been using his sons in some other way.

His words spun in my brain as I looked at the altar before me.

 _What did Fortnight want?_

 _What was he after?_

 _Revenge?_

 _Something bigger?_

Aro knew something when I said his name, so I pressed further. "Do you know who Director Fortnight is?" I questioned.

"I have a suspicion…" He trailed off.

"He is Congressman Steven Fortnight's son. What was your dealing with him?"

Aro's eyes flashed as he looked around again. "He was…"

"We know you had him killed. Nothing is going to come from this conversation, but we have to know why."

He closed his eyes and leaned forward and clasped his hands, much the same as I had before. "It wasn't just that I had him killed."

"What do you mean?"

He turned and looked directly at me then and his black eyes bored into me. " _I_ killed him." His words echoed throughout the church.

 _Truly before God himself._

I sat back and stared at him.

If Volturi killed Fortnight's father, then it made sense that he spent the rest of his life taking down Volturi and every other person connected with him. But what did that have to do with Edward? Why did he want him now? Why would they take him unless they were planning something?

"When did you talk to your sons? Do you know what they want Edward for?"

"I heard from them yesterday. They sent a message. All it said was, they have him, and he's working with them. That he killed Kebi because they told him that Kebi had taken out his family."

 _Shit._

So many things crossed my mind then. Riley _was_ bad because he didn't see Kebi killed if Edward did it.

 _Yet, if Edward thought we were dead. He might go off the deep end._

 _Goddamnit._

 _But maybe I shouldn't believe Aro. However, for some strange reason I did. I trusted him._

"But here's the thing Isabella." I cringed a bit when he used my full name, but I looked back as he continued. "My sons have been trying to stop them and they were going to ask Edward for his help, but they took him before they could get to him."

 _So his sons were going to double cross Fortnight and Eleazar anyhow._

"Why?"

"Why do you think?" He raised his eyebrows at me again.

"Because of me." I said without thinking.

 _I_ was protected.

And maybe they were too- his sons.

He said as much so that last time we met and his sons were going to try to take out Eleazar and Zoraida from the inside by using Edward. Yet, they didn't know that Fortnight was bad too.

My mind was spinning as I thought about what I should ask, what I could say next.

But Aro looked around and squeezed his hands together tightly. "My sons think they are planning some sort of attack. On New Year's Eve."

"What kind of attack?" I asked worriedly.

"I don't know. But I know it has something to do with Reycon."

The facility. It had to be.

We sat in a silence a moment longer before I stood up and looked at the altar again. My eyes danced across the holy water and the picture of the Virgin Mary.

Then I was suddenly frantic.

We had a day to figure this out. _Tomorrow_ was New Year's Eve and the City could be in danger. I needed to go. We had no time to waste.

I turned to leave then and suddenly felt a hand on my arm and spun back. I looked at him and glanced at Emmett and Garrett again, who twitched at my movements, but I shook my head at them.

"Thank you for coming to me. I want to help. I want you to know that."

I nodded, not having anything else to say to him. I still hated him. But I was thankful that he agreed to see me.

As I walked to the back of the church I looked back to see him leaning over the first pew. He appeared to be praying. He glanced back at me and gave me his own nod before I left, sure that it was the last time I would ever see him.

*&^%$#

"Vat do ve know about Eleazar?" Tanya asked as we drove back to the CIA headquarters.

"We know that he's somehow connected to this ring of men. That he was going to fund the Trenton project and that he has funded a number of missions at Fortnight's direction." Garrett said.

"Vat I mean is, ve have found Fortnight's reasons, but vat are Eleazar's?"

"Money?" Emmett said.

"Power?" Garrett posed.

"No. I think it's more zan zat?" Tanya dismissed.

"Revenge." I finally stated.

"On who?" Garret asked.

"Well who did he take out? I think it's a safe assumption that he took out each of the big players in Volturi's ring?"

"So why keep Volturi alive?" Emmett asked.

"Family?" I posed.

And so we went, the entire way back. We still weren't sure of the connection but as soon as we got back to headquarters, we notified the CIA of the potential attack through Alistair and Makenna. Then we holed up in the room again to sort out this mess.

If they, whoever "they" was, were planning an attack, then we had to figure out how Edward played into it.

"What if it's a bomb? He's not a bomb specialist?" Seth purported.

"Or an anti-terrorist specialist?" Said Santi.

"Or even a true field agent." Stated Rebecca.

They spun and spun their thoughts as I sat there and looked at the board. What had I been thinking earlier? It all came back to me. Him and me, me and him.

Who would they need him to kill? There was no one left?

Except…

"Wait. Wait!" I jumped up and started pacing.

"What is it Bella?" Seth asked, looking at me worriedly.

I stopped and looked at him. "He thinks we're dead. Me and the kids and his parents. Aro told me as much." I said as I continued to convey our conversation to them.

The agents all looked around at each other and began to pose scenarios again. He may have seen it before he was taken, or they may have told him. Maybe that's why he did what he did. Riley had said he saw Zoraida kill Kebi, but Garrett believed that was a lie to lure Edward in and Aro confirmed that.

To lure him in to have him carry out whatever plan they had.

And I was pretty sure I knew what that might be.

"Stop. All of you." I leaned my hands on the table and said something that I could barely get out, but I had to.

"I know…my husband." I choked out for a moment and the recomposed myself. "If he thinks we're dead, he will do whatever he has to do to stop this…" I looked down and then back up at them. They were all quiet for once.

"Including kill himself."

Silence took over the room as the agents let my words sink in.

The only sound in the room was the steady breathing of the ten men and women who had come together to help him.

"Fuck." Emmett said as he sat down and put his head in his hands. "That's it isn't it?"

I nodded.

"They're going to put him in a position where he will do anything to stop whatever is happening, even if it means sacrificing his own life." Garrett posited.

The revelation was sobering. My hands began to shake and I sat down in my chair and put my own head in my hands.

"And possibly lay it all at his feet." Liam said then.

My head shot up. "What?"

"Listen, it makes perfect sense. Remember the article in the newspaper last week?" Liam continued and we all nodded in agreement.

"I saw it when I was in Switzerland and I found it odd that he would be brought up now. But that's it isn't it? It had to be planted, by Fortnight or someone else connected. They've made him look bad, made his family look bad. Then his family winds up dead the next day. The public is going to think that he was bad and it was just someone after them because of whatever he was into."

"And the FBI walks away clean because he's a rogue agent. A bad apple." Emmett adds.

"Exactly." Liam stated.

"Fuck." A few mutters carried around the room.

"So how do we stop it?" Seth asked.

How would we get to him in time? How did we find out what the attack was? We had to find out what they were planning.

"Garrett I think we need to get some more information from Biers?" Seth said then and we all looked at him.

"Agreed. I think it's high time we did that."

Garrett marched out of the room and I looked around at the agents. I could see the sympathy in their eyes. I could see the regret.

And I hated it.

I felt helpless.

It was like watching a car accident happen in slow motion. Two cars speeding through an intersection, neither one seeing the other until right before impact. Yet neither can move fast enough to get out of the way.

Just… _crash_.

How did we stop the impact?

How did _I_ stop the impact?

I thought back on what Aro said and my head started pounding. An attack, a terrorist attack on New York City on New Year's Eve.

What was the most obvious place?

What would tie Edward to the scene?

Or the Cullens for that matter?

What would keep him from sacrificing himself?

It all finally clicked into place.

"Emmett." I snapped my head up and looked at him.

"Yeah?" He was writing something down, but he looked up at me then.

"Reycon's headquarters."

His hand stopped moving and he blinked.

"Is right next to Times Square."

I swallowed as I realized there was only one way to stop him.

"It has to be me." I paused. "Emmett, he has to see _me_."

 *** &^%$#**

 **A/N:**

 **And I saved that canon bit all the way for here…off to write the next chapter.**

 **Hope you enjoyed it.**

 **~AMJ**


	23. Chapter 22- Cognizence

_**Chapter 22: Cognizence**_

" _ **Seven Nation Army" by The White Stripes**_

 _ **Bella Cullen**_

 _There are certain memories in life that are more vivid that others._

 _Walking across the stage at graduation._

 _Your wedding day._

 _The birth of a child._

 _The death of a loved one._

 _But I was sure today would be just as vivid for many of the same reasons._

 _I stepped around Emmett, my entire body aching to fully see Edward for the first time in six weeks, praying that he would see me and praying that he wouldn't do anything stupid._

*&^%$#

Our boots pounded across the floor as we sped for the interrogation room. The CIA had been holding Biers for treason for the last few days. We were breaking all of the rules now, but I didn't care. I was pretty sure part of the reason Garrett and Emmett let me tag along was because they didn't want to let me out of their sight. I think they were both leery of everyone.

The silver door loomed before me. Then it squeaked as Garrett pushed it open.

Alistair and Makenna were already in as they had the secured access to get to Biers.

He looked up at us as we entered, obviously perplexed, but looking worse for the wear than he had the few days prior. He looked sad and contemplative. His eyes traveled to mine and they almost looked pained.

Then he glanced back and forth from Alistair and Makenna to me, Emmett and Garrett.

"What are you doing here?"

"We need information and you're going to give it to us." Garrett said finally.

He walked around the table and spun the chair next to Biers and sat right down in his face. Biers tried to lean back but Alistair stood right behind him so that he was trapped in. He shifted uncomfortably and glanced at me again.

"We know you were working with Eleazar Jiminez and Zoraida Simon."

Biers eyes flashed with something but he remained quiet.

"We know they are planning an attack. We need to know where and you're going to tell us."

His jaw twitched as Garrett leaned forward again and almost growled in a menacing voice.

"Biers. I'm going to say this once. I'm officially off the grid. So I don't give a fuck what I have to do to get information out of you.

Garrett rolled up his sleeves then and Biers tried to lean back.

It was then I noticed Garrett's arm. He had a strange scar on his inner arm, like he had been stuck with needles repeatedly and tied a tube around it. I knew he couldn't have been an addict.

So it must have been from a mission.

I saw Biers glance at the scar as well and cringe when he looked back up at Garrett.

"It's exactly what you think it is. Don't make me have to go there with you." Garrett said then in a voice so low it was almost a whisper.

"I can't." Biers said in a pained voice.

"Why?"

"They'll kill him." He whispered.

"Who?"

"My son."

"We can put him in protective custody." Garrett stressed. "Do you want thousands of people to die?"

"No…it won't be." Biers shook his head.

"Then talk."

Biers put his head in his hands and grabbed at his hair.

"Fuck." He finally muttered.

Garrett sat back and waited until Biers sighed.

"They got a hold of me after a week. I blew a cover, and then she threatened to kill me and my son if I didn't work with them."

"Zoraida?"

"Yes. And I saw what she did to that other guy…" He shuddered and closed his eyes.

"Who?"

"Kebi."

"It couldn't have been Kebi."

"I don't understand. But that's what she told me." Biers shook his head.

"Did you actually see him?"

Biers thought for a moment and then sighed. "No. I saw his back and I saw what she did to him. She all but skinned him alive and…" He gulped. "I can still hear his screams."

"I think she told you that because she knew that you would go to Agent Cullen then?" Garrett posed.

Biers' eyes flashed, likely realizing that many things weren't what he thought they were.

"I think you need to just talk."

Finally Biers explained how he had been compromised in Italy and they told him he had to help bring Edward in or else they were going to kill his son. Apparently he hadn't found out about his son until the day he left for the mission. But Garrett made him wonder if he even had a son, or if they somehow set him up. Though he didn't tell him that we suspected Fortnight's involvement.

"Everything else I told you is true. Then Agent Cullen faked my death. That's how I got out. So they don't know I'm alive. I wasn't sure what to do. I was paranoid they would somehow know and I took extra time to come in."

"So what do they want Cullen for? Is it an attack on New Years?"

"Yes…sort of. But it's more because it's a diversion."

"A diversion?"

"They want him to take out the Senator."

"Why?" Garrett pushed him.

"To create the diversion and because the Senator was opposed to the facility as well. And I remember, not from them, but from living in Jersey that he had some beefs with the FBI."

Garrett glanced at Emmett and me then, likely thinking the same thing we were.

 _Fortnight._

"When?" He asked instead.

"At the celebration at Times Square. He's making an appearance and they are going to use his assassination as a diversion from a huge shipment into the Reycon facility in Trenton."

"Why?"

"Because the state police control the checkpoints. Especially on a holiday like New Year's Eve. Yet the state police are assisting with covering the Senator's trip into the City."

"What is the shipment? What are they doing with it?"

"It's biological. And they said…" he closed his eyes and sighed. "They said they're going to create an explosion so that there's a leak. Then they will be able to get the funding for the facility that they want. To prove that they need it."

It all finally made sense, Biers explained not only why they wanted an assassin, but why they wanted Edward. If he went through with it, he was the best and they would create the diversion they needed. But if he didn't then he would go down as a traitor and then he'd either have to go on the run or join them, or face prison and try to clear his name. Likely Fortnight had made it so that he couldn't do that.

Unless he simply took himself out of the equation. Which was his only other option.

I shuddered at the thought.

"What's going to happen to me?" Biers asked then.

"That's up to you. I think you know that." Garrett shook his head.

I looked at my watch seeing that it was now almost five o'clock on New Year's Eve. We didn't have much time.

As we walked out of the room and back to our command room. I realized how tired I was. Though I'd caught a couple of hours of sleep during the early morning, it was more than that. I was tired after nearly five months of being on edge. I was tired of living life inside. I was tired of looking over my shoulder.

I was just tired.

There we were yet again, walking through a dark hallway, hidden away from the world.

I wanted to be out. I wanted to be in the sunlight. I wanted to join the world again.

I wanted this all to end.

We went back to the room and everyone was in a frenzy.

"What's going on?"

"Senator Rothwell is on his way into New York." Makenna said.

"Which means the shipment is likely coming in already?" Rachel offered.

"We don't have much time." Rebecca jumped in.

The agents started rapid firing questions and possibilities. Where would the shipment come in? How would they do it? By ship? By plane? Some other way? Should we split up? How should we do it?

My mind was spinning with all of their suggestions. I just kept watching the clock ticking away, like salt in an hour glass.

I couldn't take it anymore. I had to do something. I had to leave.

I stood up and grabbed the blonde wig again. I shoved the door open and went to the bathroom to get myself ready.

Just as I had adjusted the wig on my head the door opened and Tanya walked in.

"Vat's wrong Bella?" She asked.

"I can't be in this room any longer. We don't have time. We have to get to him."

She studied me for a moment and then grabbed me by the shoulders and turned me to look at her.

"I know how you feel. I know you feel helpless and like ve're doing nothing. But if ve don't take the time—even thirty minutes to plan smartly—then ve could miss it completely. It's crucial." Her blue eyes bored into mine and I finally sighed.

"It's just…this can't be it. I don't see a way out of this. How has it come to this? What's he going to do?" I shook my head, the tiredness, the fear and the emotion finally getting to me.

"He vill figure it out. I know they've lured him in and it seems hopeless right now. But he vill know what to do. He has motivation."

"But he thinks we're dead."

"Maybe." She thought for a moment. "But did you ever think he vas gone?"

"No." I shook my head with conviction. "I could feel it that he wasn't gone and I would never believe it until I saw it with my own two eyes. I would have to see it."

"Exactly. So trust in him."

I nodded, when suddenly the door burst open and Rebecca walked in.

"We gotta go. We got some intel from an agent in the field that a plane thought to be owned by Jiminez just landed at Princeton airport."

"That's right between the City and Trenton." I said.

She nodded and we both quickly went after her.

We went back to the room and the agents surmised that if they split up then at least some of Eleazar's operation would have to be going to the Reycon facility in Trenton and at minimum Edward would be going to the City.

But how would he get in? Traffic into the City on New Year's Eve would be a nightmare so he wouldn't be driving. The subway lines would be long, as would any other public transportation, not to mention he wouldn't want to be seen that way. A speedboat was an option, but that would take a long time on tough waters at this time of year.

Then suddenly it hit me.

"The helicopter." I stated.

They all turned to look at me and I quickly explained that we had taken the helicopter tour of the city and which helipad we used.

"It's close enough to Reycon." Garrett stated.

"Can we get someone there? Maybe that's where we intercept him?" Seth posed.

"Maybe. But I doubt Eleazar will go with him." Emmett said. "He's just a businessman."

"So he sends who? Zoraida?"

"Maybe, or someone else who can take him out if needed." I paused, thinking for a moment. "Russo. They'll want someone who is trained in that manner too right? So he can complete the job if Edward doesn't do it."

"But not if ve get to him first." Tanya added.

"We need to split up." Garrett stated looking at the board. "I think we need CIA to go to the facility to stop whatever is being planned there, and because you can call in reinforcements. You also alert the state police about the Senator to keep him out of the celebration. But I think those of us that are rogue need to get to Edward."

"And what about Bella?" Seth stated.

"I have to go to him. I have to. He has to see me."

Garrett quickly divided up the groups with one exception. Santi was staying with me. He was going to be my protection if Garrett, Emmett, Seth, Liam and Tanya had to go into action.

The agents all quickly put on their vests and pieces. I strapped into my vest again and put my jacket back on.

"You okay? You sure you want to do this?" Seth asked and Emmett and Santi walked over as well.

"Don't ask me that again." I stared at them pointedly and they all nodded.

Then I thought for a moment. "I need a sidearm."

"Bella—" Seth started to protest.

"No. She's right. She can handle it." Emmett stated we shared a look. We hadn't told anyone about that night—that I was the one to take out one of the men.

They placed a holster on me and the gun felt heavy against my ribcage. I took a deep breath, threw on my jacket and turned to follow the agents out. My disguise was in place but belied the racing in my heart.

We had to get to him.

 _But what if we didn't?_

I couldn't think that. I had to stay calm and try to focus on what I would need to do.

Santi sat next to me and I could feel his eyes on me as we tore out of the underground parking garage and into the streets of New York. It was dark and the streets were busy. But Emmett took us back ways and side ways to avoid traffic as much as possible.

"Just breathe Bella." Santi said as he put a hand on my shoulder.

I nodded and filled my lungs fully and let it out slowly. He taught me some meditation and breathing exercises as part of my training and I put them to use.

Before I knew it we were pulling up to the helipad, the same one that Edward and I had been at just mere months before. There were only two other cars in the parking lot

"They should be coming from the southwest. We need to have cover under the overhang so that they don't see us from an aerial position coming in." Garrett and Emmett hashed out the details.

"We may just have to take the chance if we go here." Garrett pointed to a position on the map that he had pulled upon his phone. We were parked in the parking lot. The black Tahoe nondescript, but also stood out because it was government issued type.

"Bella- I'm giving you the keys. If anything goes awry you run like hell and get to the Tahoe and get out of here. There's a precinct two blocks down. Get there and call your father. I notified him to be on standby."

"When?"

"Through some backchannels earlier. Just, don't do anything stupid."

I nodded, my heart racing yet again.

"Ok let's go. Stay behind Emmett."

I took a deep breath and we jumped out of the vehicle. The hum of the city and the water made it sound strangely quiet as we ran for the building attached to the helipad. Seth, Liam, and Tanya cleared the cars in the lot and then ran around the west side hidden by an overhang to take their positions and Emmett, Garrett, Santi and I went the other way.

My chest heaved, not so much from the exertion but from the anticipation. It was still, heavy, like waiting on the edge of a thunderstorm that's rolling in. It was cold and windy, typical New Year's Eve. But being next to the water it gave it an extra bite along with the hammering my heart was doing against the wall of my chest. My fingers gripped the gun at my side as we waited, the metal heavy in my hand.

Suddenly we heard it. The low whiz, whiz, whiz of the helicopter's blades as it was coming in. No one else was there as the helipad was closed—likely for New Year's Eve.

My eyes squinted into the dark night sky trying to find the source. Just then the wind changed and the sound grew closer. I held my breath, shaking a bit but trying to remain calm.

"Just breathe Bella." Santi said again.

He was right behind me, his gun readied. I lifted mine up to a ready position as well.

"I see four subjects. One woman." Garrett whispered back. "On my count of three we go. Emmett you stay on the corner with Bella behind you. Santi right flank me."

I grit my teeth and waited.

"One."

"Two."

"Three."

As if in slow motion, Garrett stepped around the corner and Santi followed. I quickly moved up behind Emmett and peered under his arm.

And then I saw him.

He stepped out of the helicopter, the blades now slowing to a din and I watched as he turned.

Zoraida was on one side of him, along with Russo and another man that I didn't recognize.

Somewhere in my mind I noted how much Russo looked like my brother, and how hard and cold Zoraida looked.

"Stop. Don't take another step." Garrett shouted.

I took in the situation, but all my eyes could focus on, all I could see was _him._

Like the first time I saw him at Gray's, like the night I watched him walk away from me at the airport, I could see his hair flapping in the wind. His beard was so long that all I could see were the eyes on his face searching for the sound of the voice.

And they looked pained.

I wanted to go to him.

I wanted to throw my arms around him and crash my lips to his and breathe him in.

But I waited.

Something was off with his expression. For some reason that struck me. Something was wrong.

"Morgan." Edward's voice cut through the cold night.

"Agent Cullen, don't take another step."

Edward stopped, as did the other three. I could see that they were all carrying as well, and the thundering in my ears was now so loud that I thought my ear drums might burst.

"Morgan, you have to let me through."

"I can't do that and you know it."

I could see him contemplating something and he turned to look at the other three.

Garrett kept his gun up and walked closer to him. Russo raised his gun then and Garrett stopped, training his gun on them.

"Stop goddamnit." Edward hissed to Garrett of all people.

"What the fuck is going on?" Emmett muttered. "Something's wrong."

"I agree." I whispered.

"I think you should listen to him." Zoraida said then in her thick accent as she moved behind him. "Why don't you tell them Agent Cullen?"

He closed his eyes and looked at the sky and then back to Garrett. It was then that I noticed something.

He kept twitching his left hand. He kept running his thumb over his left finger.

As he did with his wedding ring.

It was then I knew.

It was up to me.

There are certain memories in life that are more vivid that others.

Walking across the stage at graduation.

Your wedding day.

The birth of a child.

The death of a loved one.

But I was sure today would be just as vivid for many of the same reasons.

I stepped around Emmett, my entire body aching to fully see Edward for the first time in six weeks, praying that he would see me and praying that he wouldn't do anything stupid.

"What the fuck are you doing?" Emmett whispered.

But I didn't answer and I didn't listen.

I just walked forward, with my gun trained on Zoraida because if things went bad and I got a shot in I was surely taking her out first.

Edward's eyes widened and then closed only to reopen them and shake his head infinitesimally. Despite my disguise. Despite the hair and the makeup and the little light we had to see.

He saw me.

We stood, our eyes locked as a million emotions ran through my body. I remained steadfast, my gun on Zoraida but my eyes locked on him.

Then suddenly he closed his eyes again and did something I never could have expected. He threw his jacket open and my gaze moved downward to the strange red numbers on his chest.

All of the breath left my body as I realized what I was seeing. But before I could say anything, Emmett beat me to it.

"Fuck it's a bomb."

 *** &^%$#**

 _ **Agent Cullen**_

It had been two days.

Two days and nothing had happened, except they had me locked in a room away from everything.

What they had planned for me, I still wasn't sure. But we had come in under cover of night two nights ago and from what I could tell when we transferred from the plane, we were somewhere inland, possibly near the mountains in West Virginia or Pennsylvania.

They'd shuffled me into a car and I'd felt the up and down of the road and my ears had popped from the change in elevation.

I still had my knife, they somehow had forgotten that it was on me. But I was bound, so I didn't have my full range of motions to help me much.

Thus once I was put away again, I checked the room for video cameras. Once I'd determined there weren't any, I'd taken off the underwear I was wearing and used the elastic to create a leg strap. It was securely fastened to my calf in the event that I could finally use it.

The problem was, I was trapped and my mind was beginning to run away with me and the possibilities. I was basically in a prison again. No light, no windows, nothing. All I had was a cot and stool.

I felt like a caged lion and I wanted out.

It was just me and time.

Time to think.

Time to ruminate.

Time for all of the lies and the events of my past to fester in my brain.

Time for the anger to set in.

There was a tray of food in the room and a bottle of water. Dejectedly I sat down on the cot and ate as I thought about the realizations I'd had the last few days.

All I could do was recall my past and the timeline that brought me here. To this place.

My first assignment was Volturi, and Liam was under cover with me.

Then I did a short stint in Venezuela, which was where I first met Eleazar. Then I took the assignment in Madrid, more as a favor to him than anything, but it was still cleared with Fortnight and the RICO unit.

Next I went under in Brazil and it was before that mission that I met with Eleazar personally, when he told me not to get too close or go too deep.

My sandwich rolled around in my mouth as I realized something that strung through all of them. Even on to others, large and small, in Greece, France, Russia and eventually Romania. They all required me to get in and get out _before_ the takedown, except for my last mission in New York. But that was due to the entirely different circumstances surrounding Bella.

They all required that my cover as an assassin remained entirely intact. Whereas most assassins, for hire or assigned, had strict instructions to self-destruct should they be given up during a mission.

But not me, they always got me out.

It was that realization that made my brain synapses snap into place.

Only one other person could have cared about my survival and extraction more than my family. Eleazar may have wanted me work for him, but he clearly coordinated with the FBI and he clearly had contacts.

And now I suspected, no I _knew_ who that contact had to be.

Director Fortnight.

It all made sense.

Though I should have been angry, or sad, I was almost stupefied by my realization. The one person who had brought me along from the very beginning, the only person who knew everything about me other than Mijn Vrouw.

The one person who could push me further and farther and faster to the brink and then just barely bring me back.

I ran my hands through my hair as I thought about everything else:

How on my mission in New York, they didn't give me all the information, and _he_ even went so far as to call it a double-blind experiment.

How he named an entire program after me because I was such a coveted asset that he wanted to replicate me—and at that point he had lost me because I was voluntarily out of the game.

How the one time I went to Washington D.C. to see him, was when Raven attacked Bella.

How when I was in Miami Volturi was released from prison.

It all made perfect sense. All these years, Eleazar and Fortnight had been working together.

But why? That was the one thing I still hadn't figured out. Why would Fortnight betray his country and why would Eleazar get involved with the FBI when he could just as easily manipulate the black market or even the free markets to do as he wanted?

I stood up and started pacing. What was their reason? What was their connection?

As I tossed the crumbs of my sandwich on the tray, no longer hungry, the door opened and Eleazar walked in flanked by Zoraida, Russo and another man.

"Well Edward. It appears our time here is coming to an end."

"Is it?" I asked and stood up to stare at him. "You still haven't told me what you want from me though." I challenged.

"We need your services. Your _country_ needs your services."

A tingle ran up my spine at his statement.

"I doubt that." I said.

"Oh Edward, when are you going to see that it's so much bigger than one ring or one operation. We need to show how vulnerable this country still is in order to move forward with our plan. We need to take out one of our opponents to do that. That's where you come in."

He threw a picture down on the cot then and I glanced at it. My stomach rolled as I saw who it was.

It was a Senator from New Jersey. His face stared back at me as I understood what Eleazar was saying.

"How exactly will killing a Senator be service to my country?" I argued.

"Oh it's not just that. If you don't kill him, then we will blow up the facility and thousands will die."

"But you could do that anyway, so why now? Why kill the Senator? There has to be another reason."

 _More importantly, why did they need me to do it?_

"It's a numbers game Edward."

"I don't' buy it. Why me?" I asked then.

"Because you're the best." Eleazar shrugged. But I saw a look on Zoraida's face that said something else.

"Bullshit. I don't think that's it. Any of these three could do it."

"And not be seen. No, not quite. But also how would they get close enough? Only you can do that." Eleazar chuckled.

Suddenly he pulled something out of his pocket and it almost glowed in the light.

It was my badge. I wasn't sure how he obtained it, but he had.

Then it all started to come together. He expected me to use the FBI to get close to the Senator. But how would I do that without them being right by my side?

I was confused. Surely if they let me go on my own I would escape from them.

Suddenly I looked up when I saw a movement. Zoraida stepped forward with a hard look on her face and something in her hands.

"What the fuck is that?" I asked as Russo and the other man came around. I couldn't do much because my hands and feet were still bound.

"Get away from me." I growled at them and put up my hands in defense.

But before I could do anything Russo put me in a choke hold and I felt a prick in my shoulder.

My head began to dull and my legs felt heavy.

For the second time in nearly a week everything went black.

*&^%$#

I woke up to the sound of an engine and a pounding in my head. I was lying down in the back of a plane. I could tell by the smell of jet fuel and the cold under my back that we were already in the air.

Blinking my eyes, I tried to come to as I noticed someone near me.

"Agent Cullen. Nice of you to join us." Zoraida said as she leaned over my face.

I tried to sit up but my chest was weighted down with something and it took more effort than should be necessary.

"I wouldn't jostle too much. You wouldn't want it to detonate early." Zoraida raised an eyebrow at me and I stopped moving.

 _Detonate?_

 _What the fuck?_

I sat up very slowly, seeing that we were in some type of cargo space in a plane and felt the bumps of turbulence as we rode through the air.

Finally I looked down, seeing the red numbers lit up on my chest and I my heart dropped.

They had attached a bomb to me after they knocked me out.

 _Fuck._

 _How was I going to get out of this?_

I tried to recollect my thoughts as my mind spun with possibilities and questions. The fog was heavy in my brain from whatever they had knocked me out with. It wasn't as bad as the first time, but I was groggy.

All of a sudden I realized I was no longer restrained, but that could only mean one thing.

It would detonate if tried to take it off.

"I know what you're thinking." Zoraida said then, her black eyes staring at me as we hit another bump. "It's insurance. If you try to take it off it will go off in two seconds. And I hold the key otherwise."

She held up a hand held remote and showed me the button.

"So I wouldn't try anything Agent Cullen."

I cringed and continued to try to get my head to clear.

"Why? What's the purpose?"

"Because we had to ensure that you would go through with it." She shrugged and I shook my head at her.

"What makes you think I'll do it even now?" I spat.

"You wouldn't want thousands of people to die over one little old Senator now would you?"

"So that's it? Either I kill the Senator or you blow me up and kill thousands of innocent people?" I growled at her.

"It's an insurance policy too. If you blow yourself up then you will take out others with you as well. And if you don't, then we will do it for you. I think you call that a win-win in your world right?" She smiled evilly.

"You're a twisted evil bitch." I snapped.

Her face turned dark and before I saw it coming in my haze, her hand met my face and my head shot back.

"You sure weren't saying that ten years ago." She spat.

"I didn't give a shit about you ten years ago. I only used you to get inside."

"I let you. Did you ever think about that?"

 _Goddamnit._

Of course she had. She had already seen me coming because she was in on it with Eleazar and Fortnight. I closed my eyes and growled to myself. Frustration set in at the pickle I was in. I had to come up with something. I had to have a new angle otherwise I was never going to escape this.

"So what's the plan? If you're expecting me to carry this out, then surely you have this set."

"We're landing in Princeton in ten minutes and then we're boarding a helicopter to the City. There, we have a car waiting to get you close to the festivities. But you will be using your abilities to get near the Senator. He goes on stage at 8:00. He will be entering and exiting from the Reycon building."

"How do you expect me to get in there?"

"We have help of course. You didn't think something like this would go off with just little old you did you?" She sneered but continued.

"There's an entrance, on the sublevel of the building. Jenks will be waiting there. We will be watching and following. You won't have time to do anything should you try to." She shook the remote in front of me.

 _Otherwise it would kill hundreds then._

 _I was fucked._

I frowned and looked at my bound hands. I felt the weight of the knife on my leg and thought about what I could do. It was just me and her in the hold at the moment. Maybe I could wrestle it from her. Hell maybe I would just blow up the whole plane and take everyone down with me.

The problem was, I still felt like there was something waiting for me.

I still felt as though my family wasn't dead. That somehow, someway, I could get back to them.

I needed information. I needed to form a plan. I couldn't give up yet.

"Just tell me one thing." I started, knowing I had little time to waste.

"Why do this? What made you go into this business?"

"Why did you do it?" She turned it back around on me but continued. "It's the thrill isn't it? It's the feeling of playing God. It's the feeling of being the ultimate decider of humanity." Her eyes flashed as she spoke.

"I never wanted it." I shook my head.

"Edward, men like you aren't born every day. But when you are, you have to take advantage of the skills you have. You can't tell me you didn't feel the thrill of the kill each time."

Her fingers trailed up my leg and I shimmied away.

"Not like you. I felt evil after every single one. I wasn't in it for the kill. The kill was just a means to an end."

"You say that, but your actions speak otherwise."

"How so?"

"Those three men. Kebi and his handlers. You took them out without so much as blinking. It's second nature to you."

"That doesn't mean I enjoy it." I argued.

"But it does mean you are meant for it." She pulled her hand back and sat back. "We are all meant for different things. Some of us are ruined early on and take different paths, it just took more time for you."

"Ruined?" I posed.

She looked away, but I saw something in her eyes then and took a chance.

"Your father." I guessed and her eyes shot back to mine.

"I don't have a father."

"No, I think he did something to you. Both you and Lazzaro." I hissed and her eyes flashed with more fury.

"Enough!" She shouted.

I knew I was at the heart of it. But I felt the plane begin to descend then and I was running out of time.

I couldn't go through with it. I wouldn't go through with what they were requesting. But that meant my time for getting out of it was numbered. I couldn't very well walk into a crowd of people with a bomb strapped to my chest.

So I had few options.

Even if in my heart, in my soul, I knew that Bella was still alive. I would pay the price. I had to. I would take out Zoraida whoever else went with me so that my family could go on living. Somehow I always knew it would come to this. Somehow I always knew that I might have to pay the ultimate sacrifice.

But I surely couldn't take down thousands of people on some blind hope either.

I was running out of options.

I was running out of time.

The red numbers blinked on my chest telling me I had two hours to complete the mission or it would be decided for me anyhow.

The planed bumped and landed at that second and once we taxied to a stop Zoraida leaned over and pulled me up.

"Don't do anything stupid." She snarled, still pissed at me from earlier. "It would be a lot easier if you would just accept your fate."

With that she shuffled me out of the cargo bay only to be met by Russo and the other man.

A brisk wind met me as we walked down the loading doors and I heard the sounds of the helicopter blades several yards away.

I watched as Eleazar came down the steps from the front of the plane and my eyes met his as he stepped into his black car. He was likely bound for some escape to get him away from it all. Of course he would slip off into the night unscathed.

At that moment, I vowed that if I found a way out of this, then I was going to hunt him down and kill him myself.

Fortnight too. Though he deserved to rot in prison for treason.

Russo shoved me into the seat of the helicopter and I could see the lights from the nearby cities as we ascended once again. My mind was finally clearing and I clenched my fists as I tried to come up with a plan.

They had removed my shackles on my feet, but my hands were still bound. Maybe if I could get them to untie me then I could wrestle the remote from Zoraida. The problem was, I was good, but Russo was almost as good from what I knew about him. He never said anything, but he studied me carefully every time he was around. Just as I would do to him if I was in his position. The likelihood that I could get the remote and then take out the Zoraida and the other two in the helicopter was minimal.

I would have to do it on the transfer. If could just get my hands on one of their guns I might be able to.

My mind worked through it all as I stared at the City growing bigger through the window.

"How am I supposed to take out the Senator without several people seeing?" I asked then, hoping to come up with some way to turn on them.

"Oh I'm sure you can think of some way to kill him."

"With my bare hands? But that will be—"

Suddenly I stopped. A cold wave flushed over me and as it came together.

 _Wait._

 _That was it wasn't it?_

My eyes snapped to hers and she remained stoic as I questioned her.

They were setting me up to take the fall for the entire thing.

It all finally made sense. Join them or become a wanted man.

Or I get killed and I look like a rogue Agent.

They had me backed into a corner.

Unless I somehow found a way out in the next few minutes.

I didn't say anything else as the helicopter descended to the helipad off of 46th. It wasn't lost on me that it was the same helipad where I had taken Bella just months before.

If this was going to be it. If this was my last few moments on this Earth, then I wanted to think of her. I couldn't believe I might never see her again. That I might never hold her or Eric or Lucy again.

I closed my eyes and let my memories surround me as I pictured her. Her deep soulful eyes, her creamy skin, her long dark hair. I could still see her in that blue dress. I could see her on our wedding day. I could see her round with Lucy and so beautiful it almost hurt to look at her. I could see Eric's sweet face and hear his giggle and the gummy smile of my baby girl.

I closed my eyes and reveled in it for those few seconds.

Then I opened them and looked back and the devil who sat across from me and realized this was my last chance.

The helicopter hit the ground and Zoraida reached over to undo my binds. I considered taking her out then, but I needed some distance and room to move to react to each of them.

She gave me another warning and I stepped out of the chopper as the blades slowed to a din.

We took a few steps forward and just as I was about to consider making my move I heard a voice.

"Stop!"

I knew that voice. But what was he doing here?

 _Garrett?_

My eyes focused in the dim light of the helipad and I wanted to do a dance. But I knew I needed to act like I wanted them to leave.

"Morgan." I shouted.

"Agent Cullen, don't take another step." Garrett urged.

I could feel the other three stop next to me and a gun pressed to my back.

"Morgan, you have to let me through." I argued.

"I can't do that and you know it." He shouted back as the blades of the helicopter finally quit moving and the quiet set in.

My eyes danced in front of me as I took them in. Morgan was directly ahead, with Emmett on the edge of the building and Santi to his right.

 _What the hell was Santi doing here?_

 _How did they find me?_

 _Did Biers somehow get in?_

 _Maybe he hadn't double crossed me?_

A thousand thoughts per second ran through my head as my eyes scanned above and I thought I saw movement on the roof as well. They had more people here, which was great. But the last thing I needed was them taking out Zoraida. I had to be the one to do that so I could get the remote.

Garrett kept his gun up and walked closer. Russo raised his gun then and Garrett stopped, training his gun him.

"Stop Goddamnit." I hissed to Garrett of all people, not wanting this to escalate.

I saw Emmett shift and I knew they were getting antsy. They had the position, but if they took them all out it might kill everyone here.

"I think you should listen to him." Zoraida said then in her thick accent. "Why don't you tell them Agent Cullen?"

I closed his eyes sighing and then looked to my right where Russo and the other man were and then back to Garrett. That meant it was Zoraida had the gun on me, which was good.

Without thinking I fiddled with the ring on my left hand.

 _Help me Bella. God help me if you are you alive._

 _Tell me there is another way out of this than me blowing myself up to end it._

The silence around us was deafening as all of guns were aimed on one another.

Suddenly another agent stepped around Emmett. It was a female agent with blonde hair.

She walked forward, her gun raised and trained on us. But her eyes snapped to mine as she stepped into the light from the building.

And my heart nearly flew out of my chest.

It couldn't be.

But it _was._

 _Bella._

A million emotions ran through my head as I saw her.

 _What was she doing here?_

 _She was going to get killed too if this bomb went off._

 _What the hell was she thinking? What were Emmett and Garrett thinking bringing her here?_

But then I shook my head ever so slightly and composed myself.

 _Hadn't I just been wishing that I would know? Hadn't I just been wanting to see her, wanting so badly for her to be alive?_

There she was right in front of me, my fierce, independent, beautiful wife.

Mijn Zon.

Mijn Lief.

Mijn Leven.

My eyes drank her in as I thought about what I had to do. Then I closed my eyes again and paused only to reach down and open my jacket.

"Fuck it's a bomb." I heard Emmett say.

I couldn't give away to the other three that it was Mijn Vrouw that was just mere feet from me. But I had to do something, I had to give some sort of indication that I wasn't going to blow us all up, that I needed their help.

But I had to get them to take out Russo and the other man so that I could get to Zoraida.

Suddenly an idea popped into my head. A name, an indication that Bella would pick up on for sure. But it also meant me trusting in the hope that she was as good of a shot as she said she was. That there was a _reason_ she was here.

"Agent Rinaldi." I shouted and I saw Garrett's brows furrow.

But a small smirk moved across her face as she stood there.

She understood. Hopefully she would pick up on the rest.

"Agent Cullen. So nice to see you again." She said, the sound of her voice music to my ears.

"You as well." I shifted and the gun at my back pressed deeper. "But as you can see I don't have much time here. Can you get your friends to _reassess_ the situation?"

I didn't say back down, because that wasn't what I wanted. What I wanted was for the three of them to take out the other two so that I could get Zoraida.

"That depends I think. On what you're planning to do?" Garrett said then.

I looked at him and spoke while at the same time rubbed along the ring on my finger, hoping Bella would see it.

"I just need an _indication_ that you won't do anything if I move forward." I stressed as I twisted the ring on my hand. "You see, I have unfinished business this evening."

I raised my hand to my chest in gesture but pointed with two fingers to the men to my side, but in a manner that neither of them or Zoraida would see it.

I saw Bella nod and she murmured something to Emmett, though I couldn't hear. Garrett squinted at me but finally nodded. Now I just needed whoever else was here to understand.

"We wouldn't want this going off prematurely now would we?" I added and twitched my hand.

 _C'mon. Know it's a count. Know that you need to wait, whoever is on the roof. Please pick up the sign._

"What the fuck are you doing Cullen?" Zoraida said then and I turned to look at her.

She gave me the opening I needed and I turned slightly. " _I'm_ trying to make sure I take care of _your_ mission." I emphasized.

With that, I turned back and glanced down to my hand and then back up. I saw a nod from Emmett and I flicked the ring on my finger three times.

Then I spun.

A fury of gunfire rained down as I dove to the ground and kicked away Zoraida's feet. But she was faster than I would have suspected and she kicked me in the ribs and then stood up quickly as I caught my breath.

"Don't" I jumped up and shouted quickly, not wanting the agents to take her out.

"Edward!" Bella shouted.

But I ignored her as Zoraida backed toward the helicopter with the gun trained on me.

"Nice try Agent Cullen. But we don't need you anyhow." She sneered. "Such a pity because we could have been so good together."

The minutes were ticking down on the bomb and if she set it off it would kill all of us.

"Wait!" I shouted at Zoraida as I felt the presence of Bella at my side.

A fleeting thought went through my head, I couldn't leave my children without both of their parents. I had to get the remote.

"How good of a shot are you?" I whispered.

"I can do what you need to me to." She replied, her gun trained on Zoraida still.

"Just the right shoulder, then I need to get to her." I whispered.

I didn't say any more but I saw her nod out of the periphery and I prepared to duck and sprint at Zoraida. I had maybe ten feet to get to her before she dropped the remote after the impact.

"Now." I stated and heard the gun fire as I dove at her. I saw her snap back, her head hitting the helicopter and her arm flailing as the gun flew from her hand.

I tackled her back into the helicopter and grabbed at the remote from her left hand and then hit her head against the helicopter again.

But as she slumped beside me I looked down at the numbers on my chest and they started counting down faster.

 _Shit!_

"Edward!" Bella yelled and I turned quickly.

"Stay back!" I shouted and turned so that they could see the numbers devolving faster.

"Fuck." Emmett said as I now noticed, Emmett, Garrett, Tanya, Seth and Liam all beside Bella.

"Oh my God!" Bella's hand flew to her mouth as I quickly slammed the door to the chopper and started it up.

Then I did the only thing I could think of. I couldn't simply take the bomb off I had to get somewhere where I could get away from it faster. And I had to get away from everyone else.

I needed gravity.

Pushing Zoraida's body into the helicopter, I gripped the remote and quickly climbed in.

I needed distance and I needed speed.

Then suddenly the door to the chopper opened and Bella climbed in.

"You're not going anywhere without me." She shouted.

"Bella, what are you doing? Get out of here!" I turned back to her.

But she reached forward and put her hand on my face.

"Edward, I'm nothing without you. Don't you understand that? And you need my help." Her eyes bore into mine until I grabbed the back of her head and kissed her hard.

I wanted to hold her forever, but we didn't have time.

I heard Zoraida mumbling in the back and I turned to see her coming to.

"Hold this." I handed the remote to Bella and she gripped it with everything she had.

Without another thought, I grabbed the knife from my leg and climbed to the back as the chopper blades sped up.

"This is for me and my family." I said as her eyes focused on mine.

Then I slit her throat and her eyes rolled back in her head.

So quickly.

After all that.

After years of chasing down the demon.

She was gone in an instant.

I looked down at the numbers again seeing that I only had a few more minutes and quickly climbed back into the pilot's seat. I cut the Velcro attaching the bomb around my back, but I kept my hand pressed against it to keep the weight against my chest so it wouldn't go off and then slowly started the chopper to ascend.

I hadn't flown a helicopter in over ten years and I was shaky at best one handed.

But as we climbed into the night sky over the river, I looked down seeing the faces of my friends.

 _This has to work._

 _It can't all end like this._

 _I'm so close to getting them back._

I swallowed and maneuvered far enough out over the river that the debris wouldn't hit the nearby buildings or them. But also not too far so that we could swim in.

Then I opened the door and climbed to the side rail as Bella did the same from the back.

She gripped the door and then stepped over and she put her arms around me, clinging to me with everything she had.

For the first time in weeks I felt almost complete. I was almost there.

Then I took a deep breath. Based on what Zoraida said earlier, we had two seconds to clear myself from the chopper before it went off.

Two seconds.

"Are you ready?" I asked as I looked into her eyes, seeing my life reflected back at me.

"Yes." She nodded as the helicopter shook violently in the wind.

"I love you. Forever." I said as I pressed my forehead to hers.

"I love you too. Forever." She nodded.

 _I love you Eric. I love you Lucy._

 _God help me._

With that final thought, I ripped the bomb from my chest with one hand and threw it in the cab of the chopper. Then I let go of the side and we plummeted into the Hudson River.

 *** &^%$#**

 **A/N:**

Don't hate me and trust me. I'll try to get the next one out as soon as I can.

~AMJ


	24. Chapter 23- Deliverance

_**Chapter 23: Deliverance**_

" _ **Bring Me To Life" by Evanescence**_

 _ **Bella Cullen**_

 _A whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, was pulling me under._

 _Wet. So wet. Cold. So Cold. Freezing._

 _Ice picks. Prickling._

 _Blackness._

 _Burning lungs._

 _Flailing arms._

 _Kicking._

 _Reaching._

 _Fighting._

 _The pull of the current taking me down._

 _No._

 _Stretching for the surface._

 _Lungs aching._

 _Up._

 _Swim._

 _Swim!_

 _My head shot to the surface and I sucked in a breath. But the cold night air raced down my windpipe freezing every cell in its wake._

 _Gasping, I kicked and fought like my life depended on it._

 _Because it did._

 _Blinking I tried to focus. The freezing cold water burned my eyes as well and I just continued gasping and reaching._

 _Until I felt it._

 _A hand._

 _Warmth._

 _Only one warmth. The only kind I wanted._

" _I've got you. I've_ got _you. And I'm never letting go again." A voice came through the blackness._

 _Edward._

*&^%$#

"Bella!"

"Edward!"

Seth's voice.

"Bella!"

"Edward!"

Emmett's voice.

The hum of an engine approached and I tried to look, my teeth chattering and my body shaking.

We couldn't have been in the water for more than a few minutes. But it was December 31, the Hudson was freezing. I knew we needed to get out soon, yet I could only cling to Edward. My limbs were numb from the cold and from fighting the current.

Edward had one arm around me as he tread water as well and we turned our heads to the sound. The sky was still lit up from the explosion and debris was everywhere around us.

But somehow we made it. Somehow we fell fast enough in two seconds to get away from it. The concussion likely pushed us harder toward the water and we went deeper than expected. That's why it took us so long to get back to the surface.

The cold water was nearly incapacitating when I hit. It was like submerging into a bucket of ice but with the added pressure of the current from the river.

Just then I looked up and a light shone right in our faces.

"Zere!" I heard another voice—Tanya.

"Bella!" Seth called again and I tried to reach, but my limbs were frozen.

Suddenly I felt a push and Seth reached far enough to hoist me into the boat as Edward pushed me.

I fell into the boat and gasped for breath.

Emmett and Tanya scrambled to get Edward as the boat rocked from side to side and then finally pulled him in.

"C'mon. We've got to get you two back to shore before hypothermia sets in." Seth said as I saw him speeding us back toward the helipad area.

I could hear sirens and see lights in the City streets, but I didn't care.

Edward was here. He was with me. _Alive._

I was shivering violently when I felt arms around me.

"I've got you. I've got you. And I'm never letting you go again."

At that moment all of the emotion that I had been holding in, all of the worry and dread and fear came tumbling out.

"Edward." I croaked as I turned to look at his face.

His verdant green eyes stared back at me, and even in the darkness I could see the emotion in them. Tears rained down from my own as I leaned in and kissed him. Pouring every ounce of everything I had into the kiss, I turned so that I could wrap my arms around him as well. We were both trembling and freezing. But neither of us cared.

"Liefje." He whimpered between kisses. His beard scratched my face and I put my hands on his cheeks as I kissed him again. I pulled back and looked at him as tears rolled down his cheeks and over my fingers as well.

"You're here. You're _here_." I sobbed as he pulled me to him again.

"I never thought I would see you again." He whispered as he kissed my hair, my cheeks, my forehead, anywhere his lips could meet.

"I know." I kept saying over and over again.

I felt the boat pull to a stop and I clung to Edward.

"We have to get you two out of those clothes. And we have to get out of here before the police come." Emmett said.

"Why?" Edward asked.

Suddenly my senses came back to me as I realized that we were still in a predicament. I was dead. They were all off the grid. We couldn't have NYPD find us here.

"We're rogue Cullen, we have to get the fuck out of here and clean up this mess." Emmett jumped from the boat and tied it up.

"Rogue?" Edward said.

Then it was as if he just noticed everyone that was there.

"Seth? Tanya?" He looked perplexed.

"C'mon Cullen, ve have no time to waste."

My legs shook as I climbed out of the boat and we tried to run to the Tahoe. I saw Garrett standing next to the helipad with Liam and Santi.

"The other men?" I asked as we ran up.

"Dead. Fishbait for the Hudson. Let's go." Garrett said as he hustled us to the parking lot.

"The keys?" he said then and I remembered that he gave them to me.

I reached in my pocket and felt nothing. They must have fallen out when I was swimming along with my sidearm which I realized wasn't in the holster.

"I got it." Seth waived and ran for the car. "C'mon."

We all took off after him as we heard the sirens bearing down.

Seth quickly pulled the wires from the base of the steering wheel and jumped it. Then he jumped in the driver's seat as the Tahoe came to life.

We all piled in, Liam, Santi, and Tanya in the back, Garrett up front and Emmett in one of the captains with me on Edward's lap in the other.

My teeth were chattering as we peeled out of the parking lot and turned quickly down a side street. I heard the blare of the sirens as they passed only half a block behind us.

"We need to get these off of you." Edward started pulling off my jacket.

"Yours too."

"Tanya are there any blankets in the back?" Emmett asked as we tried to peel off our clothes.

I heard Tanya shuffling as we stripped down in the confines of the Tahoe.

I leaned back and pulled off my top, leaving only my bra and I noticed Emmett look away.

"Here." Tanya handed me a blanket and Edward wrapped it around my shoulders.

I leaned back and pulled my pants down and I saw Edward's eyes taking me in.

"Fuck." He muttered.

"What?" I asked.

Then I heard snickering from the back.

"I don't have any underwear on." Edward said then I looked at him strangely.

Emmett let out a loud gaffaw and the next thing I knew everyone was laughing.

"Assholes." Edward muttered and I chuckled to myself. "I haven't seen my wife almost two months you dickheads." Edward growled.

Emmett was laughing so hard he was almost crying. Soon everyone else was as well. The emotion and intensity likely just caught up with the entire group, but the comic relief was welcome.

I had a blanket around me and Seth was blasting the heat. But I was still cold. I knew we needed to get Edward out of his clothes as well.

I half stood up between the captain seats as Edward pulled off his shirt and I took him in. He was thinner, but still my beautiful agent. My own body reacted as I took him in, now completely understanding what he meant.

 _Shit had it really been almost two months._

He looked up then and winked at me as he stripped out of his jeans and I could see he was hard underneath. I sucked in a breath and quickly wrapped the other blanket over his shoulders so no one else could see him.

The tension in the car was palpable and before I knew it everyone busted out laughing again.

"Jesus do we need to pull over and give you two a minute or something?" Seth said then but I could hear the smile in his voice. Even though he was driving he could feel it too.

I sat back down across Edward's lap and tried not to aggravate him too much. But before I knew it he grabbed me and pulled me close, wrapping his arms around me tightly.

"Later." He grunted as Seth took a turn and it pushed my body into him.

"Definitely." I smirked at him and then kissed him hard before pulling back.

The rest of the car snickered again but then let us be. Surely they were all missing their loved ones as well.

Soon we were pulling back into the CIA and the underground parking garage.

We had to find out if they had been able to stop the shipment and subsequent explosion. Santi was the only one who had CIA access, so he took us all to the war room and then went off to find clothes for Edward and me.

I was still freezing, as was Edward. I had lost the blonde wig as well when we fell into the Hudson and my hair was wet.

Tanya went in search of some towels and when she and Santi returned we both went to our respective bathrooms to give ourselves a sink bath with some soap and water and at least wipe off the grime from the river.

 _Who knew what was in the Hudson._

 _I shuddered at the thought._

I dried my bra and underwear under the hand dryer. Then I tipped my head over to dry out my hair. Once I slipped on a new pair of black jeans, and a long-sleeve shirt and boots I stepped out of the bathroom.

Edward was standing across the hall waiting for me and I stopped for a second. He looked so different, with blonde in his hair and a full beard. He was tired and drawn.

But his eyes were the same. His eyes were always the window to him.

He stared at me and I took a tiny step forward only for him to have his arms around me in a second. I sighed into his embrace as he just held me in the fluorescent light of the hallway.

We stood there for a moment, just breathing each other in until I turned my head up to him.

"So much better than the blonde." His hands trailed through my hair and I hummed at his touch.

"Well I'm dead you know. I couldn't have people seeing me." I joked.

"What?" He looked at me perplexed.

"You didn't know?" I asked.

"Eleazar said you were, but I didn't believe him. I couldn't." He said seriously then and I could see the pain in his eyes.

I nodded. "C'mon. We need to get you up to speed."

I grabbed his hand and started toward the door at the end of the hallway, but he pulled me back.

"Thank you." He looked at me and put his hands on my face.

I knew what he meant—for coming after him, for being there, for understanding him at the scene.

I closed my eyes and leaned into his touch. It was surreal, yet so familiar and so right to feel his hands on me again.

I opened my eyes and looked at him intently before I spoke. "I would do anything for you. Now you know that."

He nodded and continued to stare at me before his lips met mine. I opened to him, tasting him and pulling him to me. My lips moved with his and just as our tongues met, we broke away and leaned our foreheads together.

"God I missed you." He murmured.

"Me too." I sighed.

Then we both took a deep breath and walked down the hallway hand in hand.

Santi was on the radio with someone and I could see the others buzzing about the room.

However, they stopped when we walked back in. It was as if they all needed their moment as well.

Edward made his way around the room and shook Garrett's hand first, who just pulled him into a hug and slapped his back. Next was Emmett, Seth, Liam, Santi, and finally Tanya who all did the same.

"I can't believe you're all here. What the hell?" Edward said in disbelief.

"We couldn't let you get all ze credit now could we Cullen?" Tanya razzed him and everyone chuckled.

"Thank you." He said to them and I could hear the emotion in his voice.

With another deep breath, he turned into himself again. He sat down and grabbed my hand as we started in.

"So what's going on?"

Quickly we got him up to speed: on faking my death, where our family was at, and that we didn't trust anyone in the FBI, which was why we went off the grid. Then we explained what we knew about the attack and he told us what he knew from Eleazar and Zoraida. He was shocked to find out the other agents who came in to help.

As he looked at the board where we had drawn out the timeline with Fortnight's name down the middle, he confirmed that he had the same suspicions. We filled in the blanks about Fortnight's father and he just shook his head.

"That was the one thing I couldn't figure out, what his motivation would be."

Then we told him about Biers and Garrett got quiet.

"It's my fault. I never should have sent someone so green on a mission like this." Garrett sighed.

"You had no way of knowing." Edward shook his head. "I mean look what they did to me. They duped me back in."

 _And he was the best…_

The rest of us were thinking.

"So where do we go from here?" Emmett asked as we looked at the information in front of us.

"Well I think we keep our cover in place." He gestured to me as he rubbed his fingers over my hand. It was like he couldn't let go of me, and I couldn't let go of him.

It was then I noticed the ring on his finger. It wasn't his real wedding ring, but one of those rubber workout ones that he wore when he trained. My finger danced over it and I saw him turn to look at me, the intensity in his eyes unwavering.

 _He had missed me as much as I missed him._

I squeezed his hand as we continued and then Santi left to get food for all of us. I was starving and tired. But I didn't want to take my eyes off of Edward.

We continued to debrief him about the attack in the Hamptons and the security system in our home and he turned green. I knew we would have to discuss that more another day, it would eat him up that he had put us in that position and that they got to his family. But it wasn't his fault; I would have to get him to realize that.

Soon Santi came back and we ate quietly as we thought through our next steps. Just as I was finishing my sandwich, the door opened and Rachel walked in, followed by Rebecca, Alistair, Makenna and Rico.

"Where is everyone?" Garrett jumped up.

"We neutralized the shipment and took down the targets, but Brady and Siobhan were hit."

"Are they okay?" Edward asked, surely feeling to blame for everything, and I squeezed his hand.

Rachel's eyes shot to him and she blinked. "Cullen. Shit you look terrible."

"Thanks a lot Borman." He shook his head.

She shrugged and nodded, but continued then. "Yeah, they'll be okay. Brady took one in the shoulder. He's at St. Francis. Siobhan's was a little more serious so they brought her into Mount Sinai."

"What was it?"

"She came into contact with some of the chemical agent. But she saved all of our asses."

"Fuck." Garrett muttered as he sat down.

I looked around the room and could see how tired everyone was.

Edward stood up then and shook Rachel's hand and gave her a hug.

"What's with the hobo look Cullen?" She teased, but was clearly glad to see him.

"It's just a cover Borman, quit razzing me." He joked back.

"You know your wife here is a pretty tough cookie. You should be thanking her." Rachel motioned.

I looked down, blushing at the compliment and felt Edward put his arm around me and pull me in.

"I already have." He said quietly and then kissed the top of my head. I looked up, my eyes locking with his as we got lost in one another for a moment.

"Wow. I never thought I'd see the day." Rachel snickered.

"What?" Edward asked.

"You a family man, focused on anything other than the Bureau. I figured you would be a lifer and burn all your bridges like—"she stopped abruptly and we all knew where she was going with it.

Fortnight.

Edward tensed and I could see him working something over in his head.

"Speaking of that. Do you think he's gotten any indication that I made it out or that you're all working with me?"

"I don't know. But that's what we need to figure out next."

The other agents got up to speed on what happened at the helipad and who still need to be apprehended.

Both agencies had APB's out on Jenks and the Volturi brothers. Some of the other identifiable Dracs and Jaguars would be taken in as well.

Regardless, the two main targets were still out there.

Eleazar and Fortnight.

Now the question was how to go about getting to them.

According to Edward, Eleazar had left separately from Princeton so he could be anywhere by then.

When Rachel tried to contact the RICO unit earlier that night, Fortnight had been noted as out on "assignment."

Which made them all wonder, where could they be?

Could they be together?

Was there one more step to this?

Suddenly something struck me.

The Volturi brothers had tried to infiltrate the ring, but were they played as well. Edward thought they were protected when he explained the connections that he found out in Europe- that they were actually cousins to Eleazar. But would that matter to Fortnight?

Likely not.

And would it matter to Eleazar at this point now that Mancini was long dead?

A revelation hit me as I realized the one last thing they might be doing.

"Hey." I said quietly, but no one heard me over the number of voices going back and forth.

"Stop!" I shouted and the room went quiet.

"Who's the one person that they haven't taken out yet? Who's the one that they tied to Edward to make it seem as though they could be working together? That they would want to take the fall for anything that goes awry as well?"

The room was silent until Edward glanced at me in question.

"When you were gone an article ran in the Post about our family, the day before the attempted hit at your parents' house. The article tried to link you and me to Volturi as though we were both working with him."

"But why wouldn't they have killed him before?" Emmett asked.

"Because they couldn't get to him." Liam said then. "When Edward and I were under on that mission Volturi was locked up tighter than Fort Knox. Even when he was apprehended it would have been in the public eye and Fortnight wouldn't have been able to take him out. Plus if he wanted to infiltrate the full ring, then he wouldn't want to anyhow." He finished.

"Aro said that Fortnight approved his parole." I stated. "I think it was so that he could finally take him out personally. Him and Eleazar."

"It makes sense." Edward said then. "I'm pretty sure Marcus and Caius were going to ask me to kill Eleazar and Zoraida when I was in Italy. But they didn't get to me in time."

"Exactly. That's what Aro told me as well."

Edward's brows furrowed and I shrugged. "I needed information about you."

He shook his head and rolled his eyes. I could only imagine what he was thinking.

"So where's Volturi now? Do you think Fortnight knew he met with us? We don't want to walk into an ambush?" Seth offered.

Everyone was quiet for a moment when finally Edward spoke.

"Maybe."

"What?" I asked.

He sat back and stared at the board and rubbed his beard.

"No they wouldn't would they?" he said to himself.

"What is it Cullen?" Tanya asked.

"That's it. That's it!" He said.

 **~Agent Cullen~**

She's here. She's _here._

They're alive. They're all alive.

It was all that I could do to stay focused. I wanted to whisk my wife away and run off to our family. But we weren't out of the woods yet. We had to end it.

We had to end it _tonight_ , or else it would never end.

Still I couldn't stop touching her, holding her hand, running my fingers along her leg, her neck, her arm, through her gorgeous hair.

She's _alive._

I stared at her out of the corner of my eye as everyone buzzed around me, trying to figure out where Eleazar and Fortnight might be going. But all I could think of was her.

How she literally chased after me and a bomb and helped to save me—to save all of us.

How my wife—a civilian—had killed an assassin at my parents' home and protected our family.

How she went to meet with Volturi in an effort to get any bit of information she could to help. I was flabbergasted to say the least.

So much had happened in the last few months. In some ways I couldn't believe it. She seemed like a different person.

Yet I could, because she was Bella: my strong, caring, fierce, protective wife.

Who I would go to the ends of the Earth for, and now I knew she would do the same for me.

As my body had hit the water, and I noted the explosion overhead, I did everything I could to hold onto her. But the force from the explosion and the impact tore us apart.

The water was consuming and deafening as it pulled me under. I'd worried that debris from the plane might hit us, but once we crashed into the water I knew that we were pushed deep enough to get away from it.

But then I worried that the force could have hurt Bella if she fell in awkwardly.

I swam and I fought the current like my life depended on it.

Because it did.

But not because of me; because I couldn't get that close only to lose her then.

Once my head popped to the surface I heard her wheezing near me. My eyes couldn't see yet, but I could hear her gasping for breath. So I reached toward the sound.

Until I had her.

And I was never letting go again.

I let my memory fade as I squeezed her hand and noticed her running her fingers over my ring again.

Then my brain snapped back to the task at hand. Knowing that I needed to focus if we wanted to ever be free from this.

"So where's Volturi now? Do you think Fortnight knew he met with us? We don't want to walk into an ambush?" Seth offered.

Everyone was quiet for a moment when I finally spoke, as something had sparked in my brain.

"Maybe." I said.

"What?" Bella asked.

I sat back and rubbed my beard. I looked at the board as my mind spun with possibilities.

Two things just kept running through my head: all the way back to that first day on the beach.

All the way back to my first mission.

 _Sorry about the jailbreak._

 _Dogs are like rookies—hard to train in._

 _Thanks for stopping the runaway train._

 _He couldn't run much longer. Regardless of which direction the rest of his men went, the train to D.C. he escaped on had been stopped in Delaware and agents were boarding it to apprehend him as we spoke._

Jailbreak. Fortnight had let him out just so that he could get to him.

The train.

But what train? And to where?

Then something hit me. They wouldn't go back to the scene of the crime would they? Where it all started for Fortnight?

"No they wouldn't would they?" I said to myself.

"What is it Cullen?" Tanya asked.

 _But what was Eleazar's connection?_

 _As a confidant, as a supporter._

 _Or as an opponent._

Then something popped into my head.

"That's it. That's it!" I jumped up.

The number. Something about that damn number that kept coming up in Spain.

15.

I thought about all the times I took the train up from D.C. to Penn Station. The stops danced before my eyes and ears.

"Who has a laptop?" I asked and Alistair looked at me strangely. I knew a few of the CIA agents and had worked with some as well. But this was different.

This was taking down the one man who'd shaped my life more than anyone outside of my parents, and another who I had thought was my friend.

I quickly pulled up the Amtrak site used to book tickets and looked at the express line from D.C.

How many stops?

15.

 _What else? I thought quickly._

How old was Fortnight when his father was killed?

15.

What was the congressional district that his father was in?

15

Fortnight's father. Where was he killed?"

Alistair quickly pulled up the information and turned the computer for us to all look at.

1500 15th Street in Newark, New Jersey.

That had to be it. I started to step back to get everyone into action when something stopped me.

 _That explained Fortnight's connection but what about Eleazar?_

I paused as I thought about it. It had to be bigger than that. There had to be more to it than that.

I had always suspected that the number was somehow tied to an organization that was vaster and deeper than we could have known.

And older perhaps?

I started mapping out the other connections that I had come across in the field.

The shipping line in Spain.

15.

The house numbers of Nahuel and Johan.

15.

I quickly jumped up and grabbed a marker and started writing it all down. Then I grabbed the laptop and would type something in only to add it to the board.

 _What does the number 15 stand for?_

 _The Angel Number 15, meant manifestation of a harmonious life, a synthesis of matter and spirit, the source of power and cooperation._

 _Yet differently, the Tarot 15 was the card of the Devil Rider, and the Devil symbolizes failure or reduction. Reversed it implies a release from something binding._

Power and cooperation.

Yet reduction and the Devil.

Eleazar's father had been an evil man who'd reduced him down to nothing. But then Eleazar had overtaken him at some point. Perhaps Volturi was the only remaining opponent, Volturi and his sons and their connections.

So maybe Fortnight helped Eleazar bring them in so that he could burn them out. I was just a cog in the wheel of their entire plan, their tool to use at their whim. Yet I'd thwarted their effort at their next big undertaking with the attack in Trenton.

But this aspect, this was all about revenge.

"Edward?" Emmett asked as I looked up each thing on the laptop and added it to the equation.

But I ignored him as I thought through all of it.

"So where does that leave us?" I muttered to myself as I looked at the board.

"It's like _A Beautiful Mind_ , what the hell is he doing?" Rachel added.

But I tuned them out as I continued.

 _Maybe it wasn't just the number?_

 _Maybe it was a map or a symbol?_

That was it. It had to be.

"Alistair, can you overlay this map with another one?" I quickly pulled up the four sites that I was looking at. Then he used a mapping system to put one over the other.

"What if we add these pictures?" I added noting the angel picture and the devil picture and I could see everyone else peering in.

"What the fuck is that?" Seth asked.

The star of the angel and the devil lined up over one another, and then when overlaid on the map, they were right over Newark, New Jersey.

Just then my mind recalled something that I had seen. Something on Eleazar's chest when I was in the depths of hell in Italy. I pulled up one more site and found what I needed.

 _That symbol, what else had it been used for?_

The Camorra.

It was an Italian mafia crime syndicate, or secret society centered in Naples and dated back hundreds of years. Its structure was more horizontal than vertical though. I thought back on what Eleazar said, how it was like a game of RISK and when one faction fell another one stepped into its place.

There was suspicion that the Camorra was started by a direct Italian descendant of a Spanish secret society, the Garduña.

 _Eleazar was ultimately Spanish._

It fit. But most importantly, I remembered from research in Vigo and in Naples that the Camorra were ruthless, that they branded their enemies like cattle. But that they didn't really have a head. If they did, then to become the head of the Camorra, a man had to be tattooed with it.

So if Eleazar was the head, then he was likely tattooed on his chest.

All of this ran through my head at the speed of light. The Camorra, the Galega, the Jaguars, Il Leone, all notorious crime families interconnected. I hadn't said a word in a few minutes.

"Edward?" Bella asked me. "What is that symbol?"

I sighed and finally explained what I was thinking. Everyone sat back as I finished and thought. Until I looked over at Garrett who looked like he had seen a ghost.

"Garrett?"

He opened and closed his mouth only to hang his head.

Suddenly he stood up and pulled his shirt up. Then he took a deep breath as he turned around.

"What the fuck?" Emmett murmured and Bella's breath caught.

On his back was a nasty red symbol, worn from age and from the skin trying to reconnect itself, but the picture was distinct.

And it looked alarmingly like the one that we'd crafted together on the screen.

Like a star with horns snaking out of it.*

"He's one in the same. I never would have put it together." Garrett sighed.

"One in the same with what?" I pushed.

"When I first joined the Bureau." He stated. "I was on a mission, to take down a druglord in Jersey. But he had ties back to the old country."

"But not Volturi?" I questioned.

"No. In fact it seemed that he was in direct conflict with him."

"What happened?"

"Clean takedown. We burned them out, except for the head, jailed or killed most of them. But I got caught when I was being extracted."

"Who got a hold of you?" I asked carefully, knowing that a scar like that came with a ton of memories and deep emotions that weren't always easy to address.

"One of his henchmen, he was a beast of a man. They tried to get me to give up information but I wouldn't take the bait."

"How long did they have you?"

"Three days."

 _Fuck. He was being tortured for three days._

"Where were you?" I asked as I leaned on my chair.

"A warehouse in Newark."

We all looked at the picture on the screen.

"Newark is a stop on the train." I said, then explaining my memory.

"It's also the cross point for the air traffic." Rebecca said then.

 _Shit._

"And look at this." Alistair continued. He overlayed the center of the star in the symbol over Newark—specifically the address where they found Fortnight's father. When he turned it, the horns of the devil snaked their way along the same exact shipping routes that I saw in the book. The picture of the Tarot card devil was more elaborate and filled out the rest. But the main picture was distinct.

"Holy Fuck." Emmett whispered.

"Yeah." I said.

"So that's it? Eleazar is the head of this Camorra and he wants to take down his final opponent before he builds himself back up?" Emmett surmised.

"And at some point Fortnight tapped into this old mafia and started using it's infrastructure to his advantage." I said.

"Plus he killed Fortnight's father so they're both going to exact their revenge." Seth finished.

I thought for moment about earlier in the evening. Eleazar had been coming off the plane and getting into a black car. He wasn't _leaving_ on the plane.

Marcus and Caius weren't with him. Did he send them to get their father? To bring him into the Lion's Den?

"I think so." I finally said.

"Do we gear up? Do we call in others?" Liam asked.

"It can only be us." I stated. "They likely already know that their other attempts were unsuccessful. But they think I'm dead, and they think Bella's dead and they don't know the extent of who is working with us. But we can't let anyone else get wind of this."

"What if they're already gone by the time we get there?"

I stood up slowly as I turned to the group. "They're not going to let him off easy, so I'd bet they're still going to be there."

"But he's an old man?" Bella posed.

"Yes, but his sons aren't. And they're going to want to prove something to them and to anyone who has ever worked with them."

It was still for a moment until Rico, Santi's quiet friend who hadn't said much all day, got us moving.

"Well I don't know about you but I'm ready to take these fuckers down." He clapped his hands and we all jumped into action.

*&^%$#

"You're not going."

"Yes I am." Her eyes were fiery and persistent.

"Bella, I can't have just gotten you back only to lose you again."

"Edward this isn't just about you anymore. This is about our family. This is about making sure no one ever comes after any of us again."

"If something happens to you…"

"Then we go down together. I already told you that when I jumped on that helicopter with you."

"The kids." I argued.

"Will be better off with your parents than living with the shell of a person I would be." She fired back.

She was right.

I would feel the same way if the situation were flipped.

But my gut wrenched at the thought of something happening to her.

Everyone else was loaded up with their weapons and their vests. When Bella began to put her vest on, I'd lost my shit and we went to the hallway.

The door opened as Emmett walked out with a holster and firearm for Bella.

"Edward." Was all he said and gave me a pointed look.

I was having a hard time squaring this situation in my head.

"Fuck." I growled. "Fine. But you stay with me or Emmett the entire time. Got it?"

She nodded but her eyes flashed with something.

"So stubborn." I muttered.

"That's why you love me." She shrugged and finished getting ready.

We walked out hand in hand and climbed into two vehicles this time. It was after midnight, officially New Year's Day, and the streets were thinning out from the festivities.

But what lay ahead was still a mystery.

How many would be there? There were a dozen of us, but how much protection would Eleazar and Fortnight have? Or would they be alone?

"Should we contact the city police?" Seth asked as we crossed into Jersey.

"No." Garret said.

Then I had an idea. We didn't want to alert the Newark police on the chance that Fortnight had paid them off or tipped them, but maybe we could get our own reinforcements.

"Garrett, did you say Charlie was on standby?"

"Yeah why?"

"I'm guessing he wouldn't have a problem providing some back-up even if it's out of his jurisdiction."

"Probably not. But I used back channels to contact him last time?" He asked.

I thought for a moment. If this all ended tonight, it wouldn't matter. "I think we should take the chance."

Garrett nodded and was quickly on the phone. I could hear his half of the conversation even from the back.

" _Yes. She's fine."_

" _Yes. He's here."_

" _Yes Captain."_

" _We need your help."_

" _1500 15_ _th_ _street in Newark."_

" _Can you get there in time?"_

" _Ok. Don't come in unless we give you a signal."_

" _We're about 30 minutes out."_

" _Perfect. Thanks Captain."_

"He's on his way and he's going to request assistance from the two closest precincts across the river. I didn't tell him Bella was with us."

I nodded as I met Garrett's eyes in the mirror.

 _Charlie is going to fucking kill me for this._

We were taking a huge risk by going in, but we also couldn't take the risk of expanding the operation or of letting them slip away.

As the car bumped along, I sat next to Bella in the back. We were all silent and contemplative. I squeezed her hand and she squeezed back as her dark brown eyes looked at me.

I leaned down and kissed her forehead and breathed her in for a moment as I felt us slow down.

"Be careful." I whispered.

"I will." She assured me and kissed me quickly.

Before I knew it we were pulling up outside of the warehouse in Newark. It was a rough part of town and the streets were dimly lit. The cover of night helped us hide the black cars. But I could see a few other nondescript ones around as well.

"Ready?" Garrett asked as we all got our sidearms and silencers ready.

Team 1 was on the other side of the building and we were Team 2.

"Team 1, move in. Team 2 moving in."

We jumped out of the car and my heart went to my throat at the sight of Bella jumping out after me. But I had to keep my head on.

The warehouse was quiet as we ran along the back side and swept the outside to make sure no one was on protection service. I didn't see any activity until we reached the far corner and I heard a scream inside.

Garrett gave the sign to stop and I looked up at him and nodded. I turned back and gave Bella the signal to stay.

Two men stood at a door and everyone else stayed in the shadows as I crept along the side of the building. They didn't hear me until I was right on them and with a swift movement, I knocked out the first man and used his gun to incapacitate the second. Seth was by my side in an instant and pulling them away from the building into the shadows.

There were no windows so we couldn't see in. But Garrett quickly pulled out a heat sensing device to see how many were inside.

I stepped up next to him and counted ten. Three of which appeared to be in a seated position.

"Here's what we're going to do." Garrett whispered to us and to Team 1 over the radio our plan to descend. It all depended on taking out the helpers first.

We wanted Eleazar and Fortnight alive—at least for a little bit.

We wanted answers.

"Cullen. You and Bella stay back. I want to see if we can get them to talk without seeing you first."

"Why?"

"If it all goes awry, you could still leave. Still get out of here." He said.

"But Garrett—"

"I want my revenge too. But you're still dead." His eyes flashed and I knew what he meant. He now knew who was responsible for the horrors he had suffered so many years ago.

On his count the two teams shot through the doors and I heard gunfire. I stepped into an office like area and felt Bella at my back. There was a window with double paned glass looking out over the warehouse area. I could see Aro, Caius and Marcus tied to chairs. They were all bruised and bloody. Aro looked barely alive, which was no shock considering he had lung cancer.

But Eleazar and Fortnight were standing there, looking less shocked than they should have been.

"Agents. So nice of you to join us." Eleazar said in his mock jovial voice.

"Don't move another inch Jiminez." Garrett growled.

"I'm a bit perplexed as to why you would care about the demise of these three scumbags, but I guess you finally figured out that we had some unfinished business." Fortnight added.

"Director, I have to say that I never would have suspected you as the type to make deals with the devil. And that's what you are, aren't you Eleazar, truly the devil."

I could see Eleazar's eyes squinting at him and I held my breath. He knew that we were on to him.

"What are you going to do? Kill us? You realize that this country will have no buffer between the organizations who have nothing to lose when coming after it. You want to open it up to that? Do you really want the Al Quadas and Boko Harams to pepper this country with attacks? It's only because of me and Eleazar that they haven't had the chances. We've protected this country, even when others wouldn't or couldn't support the causes necessary." Fortnight spewed.

"I think you're inflating your worth." Garret spat. "I think you two are nothing but a couple of thugs in your own right."

"Maybe. But we're thugs with money, power and connections. Something that you will lose if you take us out now."

"And if we don't. What will you do then?" Garrett asked.

 _What was he doing?_

I looked at Bella and she shook her head at me imperceptibly.

"I won't be doing much. My days are numbered anyhow. But so are yours." Fortnight smirked.

The way he said it caught me offguard, along the lines of what Zoraida had said only earlier that evening.

 _Numbered._

 _An insurance policy._

"Fuck. He's set them all up too." I whispered to Bella as I could see Garrett looking at the others.

I quietly backed away from the window and grabbed her hand. We stepped outside and it was then I realized that they had probably set a trap as well.

"I bet it's a bomb. I bet they've rigged the warehouse up too. C'mon, we don't have much time."

We crept along the side of the warehouse to the back where Team 1 had gone in. There I saw a ladder to the roof.

"Stay behind me and keep your head down. Quick and quiet."

 _Fuck, I couldn't believe I was doing this. I couldn't believe she was here._

I shook the thoughts from my head though because I needed her help and we had to act fast. We stealthily crept up the ladder and I saw them. Two of the men from Italy were on the roof, watching through a skylight. Next to them I could see the red lights, so similar to the one I had seen before. But these weren't counting down yet. They had a 10 minute timer on them.

It was then that it made sense, the bomb that they were going to set off was here, and they were going to make it look like Volturi did it. That meant some of the chemical agent was likely here as well.

But not if we got to them first.

I could hear Fortnight through the roof as he railed on about their righteousness and Garrett argued back. The two men on the roof were fixed on what was going on before them. So I crept quietly until I was right on top of them and put a bullet in the first one's head.

But the second knocked my gun away and kicked my feet out from under me.

I was dehydrated, tired and out of shape from the last week of malnourishment and I wasn't as quick as usual. I matched him punch for punch and was able to knock his gun away but just as he pinned me and was about to strike me I heard a pop and he fell back.

I looked up, and there was my wife. Hands still around the gun with a determined look on her face.

"Fuck Liefje. Good work."

She nodded and then glanced at the men and back.

Once I made sure they were both dead, I looked at the bomb. I had a little experience with diffusing them, though not a lot. Still I quickly sat down and looked at the wires.

Attached to it was the chemical agent that they had smuggled in.

I carefully extracted the wires from the casing around the agent and repositioned them. The numbers on the bomb didn't move, but we needed the clear the agent from the area.

But where to put it?

I stood up and looked from my vantage point at the buildings around us.

"What do we do?" Bella asked.

"It's an aerosol agent, so it needs to be connected to the bomb to have a large effect. But if we can just put it in something, then it won't have the same reach as if the bomb spews it into the air."

Bella nodded as I explained that we needed something solid to secure it in, like a freezer or a vault.

"What about that?" She pointed across the street to a run-down abandoned convenience store. An old icebox sat on the outside and I assessed it.

"That just might work. Good work Liefje."

We carefully crept down the side of the building and ran across the street. I broke the padlock off and gingerly placed the agent inside. Not wanting to jostle it. Then I closed the ice box.

"What about the bomb?" She whispered.

"I bet they have another remote, but it wasn't started yet. C'mon."

We snuck back across the street and into the warehouse. Just as I entered the office again, I heard Fortnight.

"So you see. You're in a bit of pickle too aren't you? How do you think that pretty wife and new baby girl of yours will like coming to visit you in prison?" Fortnight sneered.

"Or you McCarty, you won't be there for the birth of your second son?"

"Fuck you Fortnight." Emmett growled.

"Or you Borman, how will you take care of your ailing mother?" I saw Rachel flinch.

I realized then that he knew everything about everyone.

 _But that was it wasn't it?_

That was how they operated. That was how the Camorra operated.

They truly just burned everyone out, tore down an entire operation when things got too hot, and got out.

Just like they did with me time and time again.

Then they built it back up somewhere else.

Fortnight was right to an extent. There would always be thugs, always be criminals and terrorists coming after the United States or waging wars in the streets of America and abroad.

But they wouldn't all specifically be coming after _us._ They wouldn't be using us as their instruments.

No, I could ensure that. This ended here.

Tonight.

Where it all began.

"Stay behind me." I murmured to Bella.

She didn't question it. She knew what we had to do as well.

I stepped into the doorway to the warehouse, my gun was trained right at Eleazar's head.

" _Stai attento alle sue connessioni."_ I shouted.

Everyone turned to look at me. Though his eyes nearly bugged out of his head and Fortnight took a step back.

Then Bella stepped right behind me and I saw Aro's eyes widen as well.

"Isn't that what you told me so long ago old man? Be careful of his connections." I chided. "Though at the time I thought you were talking about Johan. But it was you wasn't it? All this time, it was both of you? Playing all of us like puppets on a string."

"Agent Cullen." Fortnight started toward me, but I turned my gun on him.

"Stop. Don't move another inch _Director._ " I sneered.

"Haven't you ever realized that we have all built up all of our own connections as well?" I stepped forward with Bella on my heels.

"Here's the thing you missed when you crafted all of us. We're humans, not robots. And humans do things that you don't intend. They don't always follow a pattern. They have souls, they have consciences, unlike the two of you."

"I wouldn't be arguing over who has a conscience or a soul with your history Agent Cullen." Fortnight snapped back.

"And who do I have to blame for that?" I retorted.

"Gentlemen, can't we come to some type of agreement?" Eleazar raised his hands.

"I'm not making any more deals. Especially not with the devil himself _Don de la Camorra._ "

Eleazar glared at me and I turned my gun back on him.

"Why don't you show us? Hmmm. Why don't you finally fess up that you're no better than any of them." I motioned to Volturi and his sons.

I continued moving forward until I was right in front of him, my gun trained on his head with my right hand. But with one swipe of my left hand I ripped his shirt open.

And there it was, the symbol tattooed broadly across his chest. The devil itself.

As I stepped back I noticed the remote in his hand. But I knew that the remote only counted the bomb down faster, it wasn't an immediate explosion. I was going to use that to my advantage.

"It's funny because I realized in Italy that even with all the death defying stunts and the publicity, I'd never seen you with your shirt off. I wondered why that was, until I caught a glimpse of _that_ when you were holding me like an animal in a brick cell." I snarled at him.

I heard Bella's gasp next to me, but I continued.

"Does he even know?" I motioned toward Fortnight. "Or were you both mutually using the other all this time?"

All of the agents' eyes were glancing back and forth between us.

Fortnight shifted as well, as if there _was_ something he actually didn't know.

"You see, I think you know you're stuck. I think you know we have more than enough to get ourselves out of this situation. And I think you know that your time has finally come." I said as I stepped right back in Eleazar's face.

In a single movement, I punched him in the gut and pried the remote from his fingers. "I'll take that."

"Morgan." I ordered. "Why don't you do the honors of tying Mr. Jiminez to the chair- but work fast."

"Gladly." Garrett responded as his eyes widened at the remote in my hand.

The other agents quickly cut out the others and then Emmett threw Fortnight down and tied him to a chair as well. When they were both secured we all stepped back, but not after Garrett got in a couple good shots on Eleazar.

"Now you two can sit here and ponder your fate for five minutes. And then you can have your own discussion of your souls…in hell." I spat.

With that, I turned on my heel and grabbed Bella's hand.

"Go everyone. Get out!" I shouted as we ran for the door. Everyone else quickly followed, helping to carry Aro, Marcus and Caius as we hurried out of the building.

"Faster!" I was counting in my head remembering that it had sped up at two times speed earlier, so we maybe only had a minute.

Just as we crossed the street, I threw my arms around Bella and we took cover behind the Tahoe. With sirens of the NYPD sounding in the distance, the building went up like a giant firework on New Year's Eve. Along with it two of the most evil, warped men I'd ever met.

The irony wasn't lost on me that today was the start of a new year—that this day was the start of a new beginning.

My new beginning.

To live my life free of the monster.

To life my life the way I wanted to.

I could never atone for all of the people that I killed. I could never make up for my past harms. But I could live my life in a manner that I could be proud of, that my family could be proud of and without looking over my shoulder again.

I wasn't going to be a person on a blind mission to nowhere. I wasn't going to be a lifer with nothing to live for like Fortnight, or a twisted sense of wrong and right like Eleazar.

No, I was going to live my life the way I wanted to, as a good person, a good man.

A life worth living.

I pulled Bella into me and kissed her head as the sound of the sirens neared.

"It's over." I uttered in relief.

"I know. We're free." She cried as she kissed me and I put my hands in her hair.

"We are. You were amazing, Liefje." She smiled and wiped her eyes.

"You weren't too bad yourself Agent Cullen."

"Just Edward." I said before I kissed her again.

 *** &^%$#**

 **A/N:**

See I didn't make you wait too long. Also probably not what you expected. (But is it ever? *winks*)

One more chapter to shore up all the loose ends and an Epilogue.

I'm getting a little emotional about that. These characters are unmatched by any others in my heart and this has been nearly ten years in the making.

~AMJ


	25. Chapter 24- When

_**Chapter 24: When**_

" _ **Everlong" by the Foo Fighters**_

 _ **~Edward Cullen~**_

"Mmmmm."

"Yeah."

"So good."

"Very."

"So soft."

"I could stay here forever."

"God yes."

"These sheets are amazing."

"I know."

I trailed my hands up and down Bella's back. I didn't want to get up. Neither of us wanted to get up. I'd finally slept. Really slept. Slept like I hadn't slept in years, probably because I hadn't.

It had to be the middle of the afternoon at least. But neither of us cared. We had pulled the blackout curtains over the windows and finally fallen into bed as the sun was rising and then absolutely crashed.

Though of course not after reuniting a bit. Now I had other things to make up for.

A lot of things.

"God this bed is so soft." Bella sighed.

"Mmmm. Not as soft as your skin though." I whispered as I trailed my lips down her neck and my hands ran down her side.

Her breath caught as she looked up at me and started to dance her fingers up my chest.

"Again? Pretty impressive Mr. Cullen."

She moaned as my hands continued further and I found her wet and ready.

Fuck. So wet.

"I've fucking missed you. Every. Minute. Every. Second. Every. Day." I punctuated each word with a kiss as I rolled her over and climbed on top of her.

I billowed the sheet up around us, creating our cavern as she liked to call it and moved between her legs.

Her hair was wild and her eyes glowed in the dim light of the room. We still had fallout to deal with, but all I wanted, all I'd requested, was 12 hours alone with my wife.

I was going to make the most of it.

Well I already had, twice: once against the wall as soon as we got in the room, so similar to our very first time together, then again in the shower. It was the best fucking shower I'd had in years—as Bella had first dropped to her knees and used her mouth on me, I'd slammed my hands against the wall before returning the favor. Then I took her again seated on the bench. Or she took me.

I didn't really care—multiple orgasms could do that to a man.

I just knew I wanted her again.

She moved her calf up my leg and pressed her foot against my ass, pulling me toward her. Her chocolate brown eyes stared back at me, melting me with their gaze.

"Edward…" She reached for me and I covered her body with my own.

"Bella." I murmured as my lips met hers. "Fuck, I missed your taste." I mumbled and tasted her again.

"I missed these perfect lips." Soon our tongues were battling until I pulled away.

"I've missed your smell." I moved my way down her neck making her moan.

"I missed your hair, God it's like silk." I groaned as I ran my hands through it and she ground her hips up against me.

I continued my way down, along her collarbone, the space between her tits, until I laved at the underside of each one repeatedly, still avoiding her nipples.

"Fuck." She threw her head back as her fingers latched on to my hair.

"I've missed your perfect tits. Fuck Bella I thought about it every day. How when I pound into you they bounce and how they feel in my hands, round and soft and perfect."

"Jesus Edward, you have no idea." She looked at me with fire in her eyes, but I kept moving.

I continued my course down her now flat stomach, stopping only at her belly button and making her squirm as my tongue ran along the edge. She was more muscular than she ever had been. But she was toned and still curved in all the right places.

"God you look amazing Liefje. Your body is perfect. All of it, even this." I kissed the scar from Lucy, knowing that she had carried our daughter and brought her into this world despite the terrible way it happened.

"And obviously my favorite part. Fuck I missed your sweet pussy." I said as I finally kissed her there.

"Yes, please." She cried out as I dove in and worked her, in and out, sucking her clit, then adding my fingers and taking her to the brink, only to pull back again.

Just when I had her flying, I spread her legs apart and pushed into her. I covered her scream with my mouth as I felt her coming around me and I grew impossibly harder.

"Goddamnit Liefje." I rumbled as my lips met hers again.

"Fuck, Edward, yes." Her arms clung to me as I set my pace, driving into her, finding that spot, reveling in our connection. I couldn't tell where I ended and she began.

She met me thrust for thrust and dug her feet into my back until I moved her back against the headboard so that she was almost seated on me again. But I was on my knees and I had leverage as I continued.

One hand gripped the headboard as the other gripped her hips and moved her over me as she begged me to fuck her harder, faster, deeper. Her hands were everywhere and my skin broke out in gooseflesh as her teeth bit down on my ear.

She tipped her head back exposing her neck and I was immediately kissing up the column of her neck as we moved faster and faster.

I could tell she was close and I was barely hanging on by a thread, but I never wanted it to end.

"I dreamt about you, about this. God _every_ night _, every_ morning. All I wanted was to feel you around me again." I growled.

"Me too. Fuck I missed you so much." She stammered as she held on to me.

It was heaven. It was hell. It was pure and utter bliss as I grabbed her ass with both hands and pulled her as tightly to me as possible so that there wasn't an inch, a breath, between us.

"Oh God." Her eyes met mine, her lips swollen, her cheeks flushed as I held her gaze and pressed my forehead to hers until I couldn't take it anymore.

"Fuck, Bella—"

"Edward!"

"Liefje."

"Baby."

"Oh my God." She gasped as I fell back and she collapsed on top of me. Our heads were now at the opposite end of the bed as we lay there catching our breath.

"I'm…speechless." She murmured and I chuckled and ran my hands through her hair.

"I'm…" I didn't even know what to say. I was speechless too. There weren't enough words to express how it felt to have her in my arms again.

To hold her.

To love her.

To just _be_ with her.

To be free with her.

It was befuddling, unbelievable and exhilarating all at the same time.

As we lay there in the quiet of the hotel suite, I knew we needed to get up. We were likely running up on our 12 hours and we had to go back. I couldn't wait to see Eric and Lucy. I couldn't wait to see my parents. I couldn't wait to put everything behind us.

But unfortunately, we had to do it carefully.

We were both dead after all, so were my parents and our kids.

Thus, we needed to meet with CIA communications and come up with a plan. We also needed the last of the takedowns to occur before we entered the public eye in any way.

I felt Bella sigh and she rolled to my side. "We should probably get up." She yawned then. "Though I think I could sleep another eight hours."

I kissed the top of her head as my fingers played with her hair. "We can sleep for the next month if we want to."

She smiled as she looked up at me. Then she crawled up to place a kiss on my lips, this time just tenderly. Her hands framed my face as she leaned in.

"I love you so much." She whispered as her eyes grew glassy. I kissed her back and then hugged her to me. "I can't imagine…" she trailed off.

"But I didn't." I stopped her. "I'm here and I'm never leaving again. Remember what I said at the airport?" She nodded.

"It's true. I loved you before forever, before I even knew you existed. It was you. You were the light that I was drawn to, that brought me back." My words caught in my throat, not able to convey the true depth of my statement.

"I just kept saying to myself 'I'll love you forever' and hoped you would hear me or feel it in some way." She whispered then.

"I did. I could feel it. That's what kept me going." I said quietly. "I knew you weren't gone. I could feel it in my bones. That's why I never really believed them, even though they kept trying to say…" This time it was me that trailed off.

"Shhh." She put her fingers on my lips then. "Later."

I nodded. I knew we had many, many weeks ahead of sorting this all out. Whether it would be with the FBI or CIA or both, the entire clusterfuck was going to take a lot of time to disentangle.

But it didn't matter. Because I was here, with her. Soon we'd be back with Eric and Lucy as well.

 _God I couldn't wait to see them._

We finally got up and got ready. At some point the CIA had dropped off some clean clothes for us along with some toiletries.

As we both quietly got cleaned up, this time separately, my mind thought about everything and nothing at the same time. It felt good to put on something fresh, to feel washed of the grime of the last week. Yet it still wasn't our own clothes. We weren't in our own home. We didn't have our family with us. I knew the sooner we got down to the CIA building, the sooner that could all happen.

"Ready?" I asked Bella as she finished drying her hair.

"Yeah." She smiled as she turned to look at me.

She didn't have on a speck of makeup and only had on a pair of jeans and a Henley, but she was gorgeous, and real, and _here_.

"You look beautiful."

She gave me a quizzical look and I grabbed her hand and pulled her to me. "I'm going to tell you that every day for the rest of our lives, because it's true. You're the most beautiful woman in the world, here" I ran the backs of my fingers down her face. "And in here." I pressed my hand over her heart before I pulled her to my chest and wrapped my arms around her.

Finally, she looked up at me, her eyes still glassy as her voice caught with what she was trying to stay. "You're remarkable. My Apollo." She whispered before she kissed me gently. I sighed, knowing what that meant to both of us.

I opened the door to the hallway, seeing the two CIA agents who had been guarding our door and we turned down the hallway. I held her hand as we rode the elevator down to the underground parking garage and climbed into a government issued vehicle to head in.

The ride was quiet. The traffic was surprisingly light, and I looked out the window as I saw the city lights pass us by. It was almost dark again since we had slept the day away. Though the hotels were usually booked for New Year's Eve in the City, the CIA and FBI always had a few blocks of rooms on standby in case there were dignitaries, or something came up that they had to house someone unexpectedly.

The car took the turn into the garage and we were soon walking back down the same hallway that we had traveled just hours before. But this time there was a different familiar face at the end.

For someone who didn't show a lot of emotion, Charlie Swan looked damn near beside himself.

I watched as Bella took off in a sprint toward her father, who almost met her half way. I smiled as he wrapped his arms around her and held her tight for a few minutes.

I stayed a few feet back, but once he turned to me with tears in his eyes and pulled me into a tight hug, as only a father could, and I damn near melted.

"It's good to see you son." He slapped his hand on my shoulder as we composed ourselves.

"You too Charlie."

"C'mon. Everyone is waiting." He said with a deep breath.

We hadn't seen him the night before. Shortly after the bomb went off, Garrett got those of us that were off the grid out of there quickly. Alistair and Makenna had stayed at the scene the night before and informed the first responders that they also needed to bring in the hazmat units to lock down the scene and insure that none of the chemical agent was released.

It turned out Bella's idea was perfect. The old freezer hadn't even been affected. But Charlie and his crew were politely sent back to New York City since they didn't have jurisdiction.

We got word back at our command center, but by that point we were all so tired, all we wanted was sleep. So we decided to reconvene after a 12 hour break.

Bella wiped the tears from her cheeks and I grabbed her hand again as we followed him into the room.

I was met with the same ten sets of eyes as the day before, but under such different circumstances. Before the door even closed behind me, everyone stood up and clapped.

But not just for me.

For Bella too.

Because as I'd come to realize in the last day, my wife was even stronger, even smarter, and even more amazing that I'd ever given her credit for. She'd saved me yet again and I was going to repay her every day for the rest of our lives. I would do anything for her.

As the clapping eased, I waved my hand at them in mock annoyance. "Yeah, yeah, yeah, stop, it's really her that should get the ovation." I joked.

Charlie caught my eye and gave me a strange look then.

 _Yeah, I'm going to sit across the table from him._

We sat down, got the coffee and some bagels passed around and started hashing things out.

 _What was the status of all of the other players?_

 _How should we spin this?_

 _When should we do it?_

 _Were Fortnight and Jiminez really dead?_

We got the affirmative on that, Alistair and Makenna and made sure of it themselves.

 _Where did we go from here? Could we just go home? How much protection did we need? When could we see our families again?_

Suddenly Charlie spoke up, in his straightforward, no bullshit manner.

"Why don't you just have a press conference and tell the damn truth." He said and everyone got quiet.

It hadn't occurred to any of us, because we were all so used to spinning a story and having to keep something confidential.

But we were all done. We'd decided that. No one in the room that was FBI would be working for them again. I suspected some of them would go to the CIA, or local law enforcement or private security. But we didn't give a fuck about the Bureau and the fallout.

No, they could clean up their own mess. It was clear that Fortnight had run roughshod over his department and to some extent the agency for so long that it didn't sit well with any of us. He never should have had the sole sign-off and power that he had to do what he did. Our brief discussions the evening before had at minimum addressed that.

"That's not a bad idea Captain." Emmett spoke up and I saw several nods around the room.

"Have we already notified families?" I asked.

"Not yet." Makenna said.

"I'd like to talk to them personally before they see me on television." I stated.

"Of course. Even if we do a press conference I think we should get communications involved and make sure we do it right. We probably can't do it until tomorrow."

"Has the press gotten wind of anything related to the takedown in Trenton, the helicopter explosion or the one in Newark?"

"They have, but not a lot, and nothing to indicate they're connected." She replied.

"Good. We don't want to cause a frenzy either." Garrett added.

We continued to work out our plan and follow up on information. An hour later, we found out Jenks as well as a number of other known associates had been apprehended. It would be a long process to get them all booked and jailed. But for the most part, the ones that were left weren't truly a threat.

The big players were all dead.

Except one, yet as I'd found out in the last few hours he wasn't a threat either.

Aro Volturi and his sons had been taken to the hospital following the explosion and Aro had slipped into a coma due to the stress on his body, the beatings and complications from his condition. I didn't have remorse for him, and also would never say I was sorry for him. But I could at least appreciate that he had helped us, that he had tried to atone for some of his wrongdoings in some small way.

Caius and Marcus would be working with the CIA to flesh out any other known players and then would be taken into protective custody after testifying against them. Though I figured most of them would take a deal and it would never get to that.

Again, there weren't many left anyhow.

But the organizations that we did know about were already targeted. The CIA had notified its contacts in the governments of Brazil, Spain, Italy, Morrocco and other parts of the world. They were also working with local law enforcement in Miami to take down the rest of the Jaguars there.

Though I knew at my core, there would always be someone looking to take over in the vacuum of power, someone ready to take over the black market trades, I didn't care who it was at this point. I did my time. I gave my mind, my body, my soul to the job.

Now I was done. Because that mind, body and soul belonged to something else.

Bella, Eric, Lucy and the rest of my family.

After a few more hours and a consultation from the communications director, we finally had clearance to speak with our families. Emmett was off like a shot to call Rose and Garrett followed after him to talk to Kate since they were together.

Bella and I quickly dialed the number given to us to get into contact with my parents and I held my breath as I heard the phone pick up on the other line.

"Hello?" I heard my father's worried voice on the other end and closed my eyes.

"Dad."

"Edward. Oh my God. Edward, you're back? You're okay?" I could hear him getting emotional, which he never did, and it caused me to do the same. "Esme, it's Edward."

I heard my Mom's gasp and my eyes met Bella's as she listened in. She gave me a small smile and squeezed my hand as both of my parents joined us on the phone.

I wished we could see them. I wished we could FaceTime or video message in another way, but it wasn't as secure.

"Edward is it really you?" My Mom cried then.

"Yes, and Bella is here with me."

"Hi Esme."

"Oh thank God, oh thank God." She continued crying. "How? When?"

"Just today. We have so much to tell you. The agents will brief you on it when they bring you back in." I guided.

"Oh my God I can't believe it. Is it over?"

"Yes. It's finally over." I closed my eyes and let the feeling wash over me as I said those words. "We have a lot to go over. But they're bringing you back to the City tomorrow." I stated.

"I'm so glad son." My Dad stated chokedly.

"Is Eric there?"

"Yes, he was just watching a show before bed." My Mom said as I heard her step away. My mind played out the picture of him in his pajamas, his hair wet from his bath, sitting down to a cartoon before winding down for bed.

Then I heard his sweet voice on the other end of the line and I almost lost it again.

"Daddy?"

"Hi buddy." I smiled as the tears threatened.

"Daddy where are you?"

"I'm in the City. I'm back. Mommy is here with me."

"Hi baby, are you being good for Grandma and Grandpa?" Bella asked.

"Yup." He offered.

"I'm glad to hear that." Bella smiled.

"My Christmas wish came true!" Eric suddenly shouted and my eyes connected with Bella's. Tears pooled and then fell down the side of her cheeks as she wiped them away.

"Mine too baby, mine too." Bella said then as she reached for me and a lump formed in my chest.

"I missed you so much buddy. I can't wait to see you." My voice quivered, thick with emotion.

Yet Eric didn't notice and just continued to babble on about all the things they had been doing, the board games my Dad had taught him and the books that my Mom had read to him. I felt like it had been a lifetime since I had seen him. But as three year olds do, he got bored and was getting tired and ready for bed.

"I see you tomorrow?" He asked in his high voice.

"Yeah buddy. Tomorrow."

"Okay, love you Daddy."

"I love you too Zoonie."

I heard the phone drop and I chuckled to myself as my Dad picked up again.

"Someone else woke up and wanted to know what the commotion was about."

I knew she couldn't talk and she couldn't understand what we were saying, but I spoke to her nonetheless.

"Hi Lucy, oh baby girl I missed you."

I heard a gurgle on the other end of the line and chuckled. Bella murmured to her as well. I couldn't wait to hold her in my arms. I couldn't wait to see her. Surely she'd changed a lot in two months, as they did at that age. My heart hurt at the thought of what I'd missed.

But it was ultimately worth it.

We regretfully said our good-byes, so excited to see my parents and the kids the next day and went back to the room. Everyone else was packing up as well.

"So where do we go from here?" Emmett asked as we looked at one another. He had a job to get back to, but some of us didn't.

Something struck me then. We made a pretty good team, the group of us, and we were more than experienced in a lot of areas.

"Maybe we'll have to reassess that?" I offered and they looked at me. Seth, Liam, Emmett, Garrett and I were all in New York. Tanya had given her statements and was heading back to London on a flight early the next morning. But the rest of us were here.

An idea formed in the back of my mind that I would have to revisit later.

"Well I don't know about all of you, but I'm going home. Now that Jenks is in, and most of the others have been taken down. I am sleeping in my own bed." Garrett said.

I looked at Bella and thought about whether that would be a possibility for us. But then I thought of the security system and how it had all tied in to Eleazar.

"I'm not sure if we can do that." I stated.

"Why not?" Bella asked dejectedly.

"The security system."

Then she gave me a funny looked and looked at Garrett. "Well…that might not be an issue." She mumbled.

"What?"

She explained how she had destroyed my command center and I couldn't help but laugh. I felt the same way as she did. I wish I could have witnessed her ripping the entire room to shreds.

Charlie stepped over then. "Why don't I take you home and I'll stay in the guest room. I'll ask for some of the blue to patrol outside just in case. I doubt any reporters are casing your house at this point. But if I take you and we go in through the garage, they wouldn't know anyhow."

"I think that would be great. Thanks Charlie."

As we packed up and walked out, I felt a strange sense of calm. We would all be back the next day for the press conference and the next few weeks would likely be a shitstorm of news articles and interviews and debriefings.

But for now, we were going to our home, to our own beds, to our own lives again.

Boy did I like the sound of that.

*&^%$#

"I can't wait to see them." I said as I grabbed a cup of coffee in the kitchen.

"I know, me too." Bella sighed.

I had slept like an absolute baby after we came home last night. Then I'd gladly ravaged Bella again in the confines of our bedroom. Thankfully Charlie's room was at the opposite end of the hallway from ours because I'd taken her every way I could think of before I finally had her screaming into a pillow.

"You look beautiful Liefje." I took her in as I set down my cup on the island and pulled her to me. She was wearing a fitted herringbone dress, nothing flashy, understated, but still sexy on her.

Everything was sexy on her.

I could feel myself responding to her again and even I was surprised by it. I was forty years old. But I'd missed my wife a helluva lot over the last two months and now that the stress had been lifted, all of the rest of my emotions and energy were flooding back.

"And you…look very handsome Mr. Cullen." She gave me a dark look as she ran her hands up over my navy suit.

I noticed she had taken to calling me Mr. Cullen instead of "Agent" as I'd requested. I had to admit it did something to me when she did.

My head dipped down to kiss her and I pulled her to me. Just as I was tracing my hands up her side, I heard a throat clear and I backed away.

I looked up sheepishly as Charlie came in.

"Sorry." He mumbled and I chuckled.

"I'm going to head home to change for the press conference. When will your parents and the kids be here?"

I looked at my watch, it was ten. They were supposed to be to our house by eleven. "An hour."

"Ok, I'll be back by noon and we can head over."

I nodded as Charlie turned to go. Bella moved away from me and walked to the door with him.

"Thanks Dad." She kissed him on the cheek.

"Any time kid." He responded before stepping out.

"It's so quiet." She murmured as she grabbed her coffee again. It was probably good Charlie broke up our little interaction, as we didn't have time anyhow.

"Calm before the storm." I teased, but I could tell she was thinking about something.

"I used to come down here sometimes, at night. I'd make myself some tea and just sit at the island and wish that you would walk in the door." She whispered as she sat down and I stared at her.

"I waited here for you. I would have waited forever." She murmured, her eyes locking with mine.

I made my way around the island and pulled her to me again. This time with an entirely different emotion behind it. This wasn't want, this was comfort and love and support, all the other things I missed about her every day as well.

I kissed the top of her head when suddenly I heard a buzz at the back door.

"Agent Cullen." I stated over our intercom.

"Agent Cullen. It's Agent Dabrowski with your parents and children."

"Yes, please come in. I'll open the garage so you can pull in."

I looked at Bella and she smiled as I nervously entered the garage code in the pad. We then ran out to meet them once they were safely in.

My mother stepped out of the car with Lucy in her arms, but before I could get to them, I was nearly tackled by a mop of blonde hair.

"Daddy!"

"Eric. Oh my God I missed you Zoonie." I knelt down and swept him into my arms and hugged him close to me, just breathing in his little boy scent.

"Daddy, what's on your face?" He asked as he patted my beard. My parents and Bella looked at us, smiling through their tears and the agents laughed.

"It's called a beard Zoonie."

"Can I have one?"

We all chuckled then. "Not for about fifteen more years buddy."

Bella walked over then and I set Eric down as she handed me Lucy.

"Oh Mijn Meisje, Ik heb jou ook gemist." I snuggled her too me as she cooed and gargled. Her hair was even darker and longer, just like Bella's, with a little pink bow in it. She looked up at me with her green eyes, so similar to mine and I just stared back at the little beauty in my arms. I couldn't get enough of her. I felt like I missed so much in the last two months, time I would never get back.

Though Bella and I had tabled the idea of having more kids until after everything was settled, I felt a pang in my chest that maybe Lucy was our last. If we couldn't have more because of Bella's hemorrhaging at her birth or because we wouldn't be able to conceive, I would be okay with it. But I felt a bit robbed that we didn't get to have that experience as we wanted to, and that I had missed so much of her young life already.

Bringing myself back to the moment, I pulled my mother in for a hug as she cried tears of joy.

"It's so good to see you." She sighed.

"Edward. I'm so glad you're back." My father was next and we were all hugging and smiling, relieved to see one another again.

"Thank you so much for watching them the last few days." Bella said as she held Zoonie on her hip.

"Of course sweetheart, any time." Esme smiled as she put her hand on Bella's cheek. I could see how close my family had become in my absence and it made me long even more for our next steps.

"You ready to change for the press conference?" I said as we walked inside.

"Yes, they sent clothes over for us?" My mom asked.

"They dropped off a few things this morning."

Everyone quickly got ready. As Bella wrangled Eric into something presentable, I took Lucy up and changed her into a little dress and red headband. She giggled and laughed as I blew raspberries on her stomach and then she grabbed at my beard.

"Oh you think that's funny do you? Well it's going to be gone soon." I nuzzled her.

I turned to see Bella standing in the doorway smiling at us and I propped Lucy up. "How does she look?"

"You both look dashing." She smiled and I could see something in her eyes.

"Something wrong?"

She shrugged. "It's just so good to have you back. The kids missed you too."

I pulled her into me as I kissed both of their heads. This wasn't really the time for it, but my thoughts from earlier reemerged. "What do you think about having another one?"

"What? Edward. I don't think I can even think about that right now." She shook her head at me and laughed humorlessly.

"I don't mean right now." I joked. "But did your doctor ever say if it was possible."

"He said I healed just fine and that we could definitely try. It would just be a matter of whether we could conceive, and then they would have to just monitor me more closely." She rubbed Lucy's hair and fixed her bow a bit.

"Well you just tell me when and I'm game."

"Okay…" she shook her head at me like I was crazy.

Because maybe I was. But now that we were going to be free to live our lives, I wanted to get on with living.

"Edward, Bella, Charlie is here and the car is here. Are you ready?" My Dad stepped into the doorway of Lucy's room and I grabbed Bella's hand.

"More than ever."

*&^%$#

" _Agent Cullen, can you explain what your connection was to Eleazar Jiminez previously?"_

" _Agent Cullen are you concerned that Aro Volturi is still alive?"_

" _Agent Cullen, what are your plans after this."_

I looked out over the sea of reporters as they shouted their questions over top of one another.

"Let me make one thing clear." I started as they finally quieted. I rubbed my fingers over my beard. I'd decided to keep my appearance for the press conference, that way when I reentered my normal life, I could look like myself again, but not be as recognizable. I didn't plan to ever be in the public eye anyhow.

I had other ideas.

"I am no longer, nor will I ever be again, an agent for the Federal Bureau of Investigation."

"Agent Cullen—"

I put my hands up. "My name is Edward. And as I was saying, I am officially retired from active service with the FBI. However, I want to make it clear that the Bureau, as well as the CIA and any other governmental agency that needs to be brought in on this case should have full power and authority to investigate it and remedy the situation as necessary. But as I said, I will not be a part of the FBI beyond providing the information needed for the investigation. I'm done."

"Mr. Cullen."

I glanced to the right, seeing the red hair of a woman who I knew immediately.

"Yes?"

"What are your ties to Aro Volturi?"

I took a deep breath before I looked over at my wife, my baby girl in her arms and my son standing next to my parents and Charlie. She gave me a nod as I turned back to the hungry throng before me.

"Aro Volturi is my wife's grandfather by blood. Nothing more." I annunciated.

"She has had no relation with him, no connection with him throughout her life, nor has her father or her late brother. For anyone to insist otherwise is completely absurd." I paused.

"In fact I will not stand here and allow anyone to insinuate otherwise." I looked pointedly at the reporter, Maggie, who had asked the question.

"We will be releasing a more extensive statement in that regard in the next few days. But all you need to know is that her grandmother was once married to Aro Volturi before she made a valiant escape. She never had ties to him after that point, nearly sixty years ago, and she was never involved in organized crime. My wife's father is a Captain with the NYPD and Bella is…" I blew out a breath. "The most remarkable person I have ever met. That's all I'm going to say about that…Next question."

I turned looking at Bella as she gave me a small smile, her eyes filled with tears, though not to be shed. Lucy was on her hip, all smiley baby and happy as could be and Eric looked out over the crowd, clearly not understanding the depth of the situation, which was fine by me.

I'd said my piece, with my family by my side, and I honestly didn't care what they thought about any of it.

Yet it continued for another hour. I was done after ten more minutes, but soon Garrett and the head of the CIA communications department had to answer more questions regarding the three situations the night before, Eleazar's involvement, Fortnight's involvement and the span of the larger organization across the world.

For the most part, we did as Charlie recommended and we told the truth. We didn't entirely know the expanse, but we had apprehended a number of known counterparts and we felt confident that the imminent threats were dealt with.

Before long, I was walking off the stage with my arm around Bella. It had been a whirlwind 24 hours just like the last few weeks, but I was finally able to take a breath of relief.

I bent down to kiss Bella and grabbed Lucy from her as I kissed her head as well.

"Let's go home."

"That sounds like a great idea." Bella sighed as we stepped away.

*&^%$#

Over the next few weeks there was a flurry of activity. For the most part we were able to simply stay at home and revel in our time with our family. It felt amazing to be back with my wife, son and daughter in our own home without anything hanging over our heads.

After flushing out all of the connections, all of the background that finally came to light we were astonished at the connections that the original players had.

Apparently, Franco Mancini had been the head of the Camorra at one point. It all came out in Fortnight's records. Eleazar had taken over for him when he died and, as he'd said, attempted to avenge his death. Then he and Zoraida had slowly infiltrated and taken down Nahuel and Johan's organizations as well as others across the globe. All the while they were manipulating the markets of lithium and other things used in security in both free trade arenas and black market.

Some intersected my missions but others did not. Fortnight had truly been the brains and Eleazar had been the funding. Eleazar's security company and multiple other companies under it were in the process of being dismantled and sold off. The other players that the CIA had identified were either taken in, or had gone dark. But none were a threat to us and that was all I cared about.

Riley had been taken into custody officially and charged with treason. His son, who they determined was his by a DNA test, was put into the foster care system. But Riley would likely be put away for many years. Once Garrett learned of the situation, he and Kate decided to try to start adoption proceedings for him. Riley had agreed and signed over all of the paperwork for him. For his lapse in judgment, I was proud of the fact that he finally came clean and did the right thing and was hoping to give his son a better life than he'd had.

More importantly, Aro Volturi passed away a few weeks after our press conference. Bella and I debated over attending the funeral, but decided against it. Charlie decided to go in our place. He never had his chance to see his biological father face to face and he wanted his own peace with the situation.

After the funeral, he came over to our home to visit. Eric and Lucy were down for a nap and Bella was on a much needed shopping trip with my mother, Alice and Rosalie. She was thrilled to be out of the house, out in public and feeling like herself again. Though she'd seemed a bit off to me the last week or so and I couldn't place it.

"What time will they be up?" Charlie asked as he sipped his beer.

We were sitting in our courtyard on a surprisingly warm early February day. I scratched at my now stubble on my chin and ran my hand over my much shorter hair.

"Probably an hour. How was it?" I prodded.

"Strange." He said. Charlie was a man of few words, but we had found a lot of common ground over the last few years. I knew that he viewed Seth and I as his sons in a lot of ways.

"I wasn't sure what I should feel to be honest." He said as he picked at his label. "I want to hate the guy, but I never knew him. I mean don't get me wrong, I hate everything about him—what he did, what he stands for, how he treated my mother…" Charlie trailed off.

"But honestly, I felt a bit better after going. Maybe I just needed the closure." He shrugged.

I nodded, not really knowing what to say.

"How's Leah doing?" I asked instead, figuring Charlie didn't want to talk much more about it anyhow.

"She's all right, she's settling in at her new position."

After Jenks was taken down, Leah felt terrible about any involvement she may have had with him. She wanted to leave the company, but after some discussion with Bella and Sue, she'd decided to apply for a position in a different area of Reycon.

The sad part was, Reycon was a good company that developed vaccines and day to day products that everyone used. But they took a stock hit with the latest ties to another organized crime ring and Leah's old job had been eliminated anyhow. They had asked my father to come back in on a consulting basis to help right the ship. He was tempted, but ultimately, he was done with work as well.

It turned out J. Frederico, for all his creepy inquisition, was truly not connected with his father. The FBI and CIA had crossed checked and rerun every connection that he had and it came up short. They'd been able to determine that he had ultimately changed his name to be similar to his mother's because he didn't want relation with Johan.

He was also no longer with Claire Whitney and he'd moved on to the next "great art scene" in London. But it appeared he had run from his father as much as Charlie had run from his. He wanted nothing to do with him.

As for Bella and I, we hadn't decided what we were going to do yet. She was still on leave from the Met and was toying with a few ideas, one of which was to open her own gallery. I knew we were lucky that we could even be in this position. But I had also received a rather sizeable retirement/settlement package from the FBI after they determined how Fortnight had manipulated my training over the years and that I didn't have any involvement with Fortnight's underhandedness.

Right now, I was just enjoying spending time with my family.

And sleeping.

As I'd said to Bella, I was making up for lost time the last month simply catching up on the hours of lost sleep.

 _Among other things._

Suddenly I heard the monitor crackle and Charlie shot up like he was shot out of a canon. "I'll get her." He mumbled and I chuckled to myself.

His granddaughter had him wrapped around his little finger, just as she did her Daddy.

As I listened to him coo at her over the monitor, I sat back in my chair and sipped my beer as I reveled in the quiet, the solitude, and the peace that my life had turned in to.

*&^%$#

"That's a hell of an idea."

"You'd set your own hours.

"I don't know. I don't have a trust fund like you to rely on, I need to work."

"McCarty, I think you know we wouldn't have any shortage of work to go around." I posed as he sat back in his chair.

One week later we were sitting in our study at our townhome. After the first few nights when we had come back I had hired my own security team to come in and completely sweep our home and uninstall everything that I had put in originally. Then I'd checked every single device myself to make sure none of it was paired with Jiminez Securities. It was then I confirmed to myself that we could easily do something like that. We'd also had the townhouse cleaned from top to bottom and even redone a few things to change it up a bit.

Bella had officially quit at the Met. It was bitter sweet for her, but she was also ready for something new. She had received a once in a lifetime offer to be a part-time curator at the Guggenheim and she jumped at the chance.

Now, I was posing my hairbrained idea to Emmett that we start our own private security firm.

"It's tempting. But how would we do this? Rose is about to pop with Rhett and I already took a long leave from the NYPD?" Emmett posed.

"I know. Just think about it. I'll get all of it in order so that when we're ready you can just start and it'll be seemless."

"Who else are you asking?" Emmett posed.

"Garrett, Seth, Liam. I was thinking of talking to Santi too and seeing if we could possibly provide training at his gym as well and maybe even bring him in. I don't know about you, but I thought we made a pretty good team."

Emmett nodded, sipping his drink as he contemplated it.

"Edward?" Bella opened the door and smiled. "Everyone is almost here. Are you ready to eat?"

"Just tell me when." I smiled and she nodded. My eyes followed her form as she left.

"How's she doing?" Emmett asked me then.

"Okay I think. I mean, she was never trained for any of that…" my words drifted off as I thought about it.

Over the last month, Bella and I had both gone back to our counselor to work through things. I knew it would take more time, but we had made a lot of headway.

For Bella, it was an entirely new set of emotions to deal with. She had killed someone—two someones to be exact. She had never been mentally prepared for that, let alone trained to deal with it.

Not that you were ever really trained to deal with it.

But we also had to work through the emotions of losing one another, or _thinking_ we lost one another. That was harder yet to deal with.

Emmett and I got up then and walked out to meet our families.

"Oh Edward, how are you?" My Mom gave me a hug and I hugged her back.

"Dad." I shook his hand as we helped to set the table and grabbed drinks for everyone.

"Jasper you need a drink?" I asked as he walked in the kitchen.

"Absolutely, the girls are driving me crazy today."

I chuckled and grabbed him a beer from the fridge as I got one for myself.

Alice walked in then and kissed Jasper on the cheek before shooing him out of the kitchen.

"Hey." She whispered quietly as I realized we were alone.

"Hey." I smiled.

"It's good to have you back." Alice sighed as she leaned against the counter with her wine in her hand.

"It's good to be back."

"We missed you. She missed you." She stared at me with her big blue eyes. My sister was always one to cut to the chase.

"I know. But I'm not going anywhere again." I shook my head.

"Are you sure? Because you said that last time." She said quietly.

"Alice." I whispered.

"Seriously Edward. We can't do this. I know it's not about us, but yet it is. It's not fair to her or to Eric or Lucy."

I closed my eyes and turned to her. "Alice, there's nothing more to do."

"What if someone comes after you?"

"Then I'll stay here and protect my family. But I'm not going anywhere." I confirmed.

I set my unopened beer on the counter and opened my arms to her. "Come here."

She stepped in and I felt her shudder as she wrapped her small arms around me.

"Ali, I don't think I've ever said how sorry I am. Because I am." I rubbed my arms up and down her back. "I can't imagine how hard it was for you. I know after Eric died I was…" I paused, "not available to you."

Alice chuckled hollowly against me. "That's an understatement." She sighed as she looked up at me.

"Edward, the last four years until…all of this…has been great. Then Lucy was born and it was like we were right back there again, right back as though it was the day after 9/11."

"Ali…" I sighed.

"The thing is. I got it this time. I think you were in the right place and I understand that you were right to go back. But this has to be it." She implored me.

"I know Alice. It is. I only did this so that we could all be free of it."

She nodded finally and stepped away.

"I'm happy for you, you know."

I raised my eyebrows at her, not quite sure what she was getting at.

"All I ever wanted was for you to be happy."

"I am."

"I know."

With that she walked out of the room and I rinsed out my empty beer bottle and opened my fresh one. It was then I realized the toll that my decisions, my profession had taken on my entire family.

But I also knew I was telling the truth when I responded to her.

I was happy, blindingly happy. But for the first time in a long time, I felt like it wasn't going to slip away.

*&^%$#

That night, after we put Eric down to bed and I rocked Lucy to sleep, I joined Bella in the shower.

"Tonight was fun." She sighed as I used her shampoo to scrub through her hair. She hummed as I worked my fingers into her scalp.

"It was fun. It was so good to be with our entire family again." I turned her as I helped her rinse the soap away.

She smiled up at me, with a funny look on her face.

"Even with all the kids running around, it was a bit crazy." She joked.

"It was, but I will tell you that it was also great. I couldn't wait to get back to it. To you, and Eric and Lucy."

She sighed into me as I held her against me. The water rained down over us and I slowly caressed her sides, my hands starting to wander as she responded.

"So you know how we tabled the idea of more kids?" She stuttered as I moved her hair to the side and kissed her neck.

"Yeah?" I asked, perplexed, but much more focused on the task at hand. I halfheartedly listened as my hands pressed against her hips.

"Well I was wondering _when_ you might be thinking about that?" She turned to look at me and bit her lip.

Something was up.

I leaned back for a second. "Well, I guess _when_ we know whether or not it's even an option and once we're both settled in our new jobs and have the kids settled." I looked at her curiously.

"You know I never went back on anything after I had Lucy. Then with everything that happened over New Years, we didn't take any precautions whatsoever and I wasn't able to continue breastfeeding and pumping as much as I had planned." She paused and blew out a breath. "What if 'when' is sooner than we expected?"

I stopped my hands, my eyes dancing with hers as my breath caught as well. I couldn't believe what she was saying. Was she serious? Was it possible? We hadn't talked about it again because of everything going on. But now, was that the case? Was that why she was a little off the last couple of weeks? Was she pregnant again?

"What are you getting at?" I finally whispered, a smile taking over my face as I peered at her.

Her eyes danced with mirth, though now shiny, as she looked up at me with a huge smile on her face.

"When."

 *** &^%$#**

 **A/N:**

 _Ik heb jou ook gemist= I missed you too._

Just an Epi to go.

Everlong is one of my all-time favorite songs as well…

Deep breaths **.**


	26. Epilogue

**_Epilogue_**

 ** _"Ramble On" by Led Zepplin_**

 ** _~Bella Cullen~_**

"Charlie! C'mon, we need to go!" I yelled up the stairs.

"Coming Momma!"

I grumbled under my breath. Our three year old was always getting preoccupied with something, she was likely in her room setting up her army people or putting a fort together to protect her army people.

She was her father's daughter in _so_ many ways.

Ways that scared both Edward and me so much.

"Eric and Lucy are in the car. Where's Charlie?" Edward came back in the kitchen then as I was wiping down the counters and putting away the final things from breakfast.

"Where do you think?" I rolled my eyes.

Edward chuckled. "I'll get her."

I watched as his still fit form sped up the stairs. I couldn't wait to get on the road, to drop the kids off and have him all to myself.

It had been too long since we had been away, just the two of us.

Could we leave yet?

I looked at my watch as Edward and Charlie finally came in.

"Charlotte Marie, what on earth were you doing?" I asked as I finally ushered her out the door.

"Just getting ready." She motioned and it was then I noticed her outfit.

All camo.

All the time.

I had no idea whatsoever where it came from.

But I chuckled, because Charlie was the quirkiest of our three kids. She broke the mold in so many ways.

"Okay, let's go. Do you have your bag for Grandma and Grandpa's?"

"Yup." She turned to show me her backpack and then scampered out to the car.

"Do you have your bag?" I asked Edward.

"I'm not really planning on needing one." He wiggled his eyebrows at me and I was instantly hot and bothered but smirked at him.

"That could get a bit uncomfortable on the bike."

He stalked over to me and I took a step back, my butt meeting the fridge behind me.

"Liefje, I plan on keeping you completely occupied for the duration of your birthday." He leaned in and pressed a kiss to my chin and I held my breath.

How could he still do that to me? I wasn't sure. But I was instantly a bundle of nerves even after all these years.

"Let's go." I finally breathed out and he laughed and then grabbed my hand.

We walked out of the townhouse, turning off the last of the lights, before climbing into our SUV.

Edward jumped behind the wheel as I strapped Charlie in and put a movie on for the kids. Eric was already listening to music and Lucy was on her pad. But eventually they would tire of it and tune in to the DVD that Charlie was watching.

Then I took a deep breath. I really couldn't wait to get away.

The last four years had been crazy busy, but in a good way. I felt like I could barely take a breath sometimes with all of the kids' activities, my work at the Guggenheim and Edward's schedule.

Though it was great to have him around more, his schedule wasn't nine to five. As he hoped when he started his private security firm, he was busier than he ever expected. It took some convincing, but eventually the others all joined along and they traded off taking the overnight work and the more extensive assignments as they all had families.

Now ELC Consulting* was the most sought after private security firm in the Northeast. They mainly focused on providing security for high profile clients. Due to their extensive military and intelligence backgrounds it was a natural fit. But they had their regular celebrities as well.

Most importantly, they could turn down any job that they thought might be too dangerous or too long, though they rarely did. Given their diverse and exceptional capabilities, not much was too dangerous for any of them.

"What are you thinking about over there?" Edward murmured as he merged us into the traffic heading out to the Hamptons.

"Just our busy, busy life." I smiled as I grabbed his hand.

He rubbed his finger over the back of my hand and turned his attention back to the road as I stared out the window.

Adding a third child so soon after everything that happened had been oddly a blessing in disguise. Though I never would have chosen the timing, just like with getting pregnant with Eric, getting pregnant with Charlotte made us reevaluate a few things. Edward had already been toying with the idea of starting his own security firm, but the flexibility it provided pushed him even more in that direction. It was also the impetus for my decision to leave the Met. I loved the Met, but I was ready to start a new chapter in my life and unfortunately, the Met held a lot of bad memories from the times during Edward's two missions.

I had needed something fresh and when I was approached by a long-time donor who I had worked with on several projects, I decided to make the change. It had worked out exceptionally well for all of us. I had more time with my kids, but I was still intellectually and professionally challenged.

Though I could still picture the look on Edward's face when I told him the news that I was pregnant. I'd thought he was crazy when he'd mentioned it the day after coming back from his mission. Then everything happened so quickly with the press conference, moving home and coming back out from witness protection that we simply forgot about preventing anything.

It all worked out in the end though. Charlotte—Charlie—was the final piece to our family. My pregnancy had been surprisingly easy and my delivery as well. I'd deserved it, as I told Edward, after everything that happened with Eric and Lucy.

But Charlie was different from the day she was born. With her bright red hair and blue eyes that somehow made its way through from the Cullen side, she had her own look and her own personality to go along with it. Named after my father, and to some extent Edward's friend Charles, we knew Charlie was unique from the beginning.

She started walking at seven months and running at eleven. She was talking at fourteen months and doing things that most toddlers couldn't do until they were four or five by the time she was two. When she started reading before age three and having nearly adult conversations we decided to have her tested.

Many people chalked it up to her being the third child and wanting to keep up with her older siblings. But Edward and I knew better, and that scared the hell out of all of us, because we knew what that meant.

Charlie was gifted, in the ways that Edward was, and perhaps in other ways as well. She had exceptional vision, acuity, quickness, and she was wicked smart. Her intelligence seemed nearly off the charts and her physical abilities were as well. Maybe it was because she was conceived after two months of pent up desire and in such intense circumstances—we weren't sure. But Charlie was definitely special.

As a baby, she was the absolute apple of Edward's eye. He was so attentive with her because he had missed so much with Lucy. But he was the one who noticed her special abilities first, and it scared the shit out of him.

Because on the one hand, she was his baby girl and he was her ultimate protector. But on the other hand, he knew just how gifted she was. He had a hard time squaring the two, just as he did with me when I joined their last mission.

"Are you ready for your birthday?" Edward smirked at me. He'd been teasing me about it for a while now.

"I'm fine." I shrugged. Though forty did seem a little daunting. "I'm always younger than you." I wiggled my fingers on his thigh and he squirmed.

"Don't start something you can't finish." He flashed his eyes at me. But I knew he wasn't mad. We both loved to get each other's blood boiling when we could.

Especially when we knew we would have time to follow through on it. Which unfortunately wasn't as often as it used to be now that we had three busy, and _nosy_ kids.

"Are we there yet?" Eric grumbled from the back. He was always our impatient one, just like his late uncle according to Edward.

"Just another fifteen minutes." Edward called back and Eric put his headphones back on.

We chatted quietly about our plans for the weekend. We were so ready to get away as it had been a crazy summer. Though we'd done quite a few vacations as a family, Edward and I both had a hard time leaving our kids. We hadn't been away just the two of us in over a year. It was his idea that we take a long weekend and take the kids to the Hamptons to stay with his parents. We were dropping them off early on the Friday morning before Labor Day and would pick them up Monday afternoon.

Though it was a bit before my birthday, we were celebrating my fortieth birthday by renting a house all the way out on the point by Montauk. Though his parents' house was closer to East Hampton, we were going the rest of the way down the island, but on the bike.

I couldn't wait.

And as Edward suggested, I hadn't packed much but bikinis and a few sundresses that could fit in the pack on the bike. I truly didn't plan on wearing much the next few days.

Soon we were pulling into Carlisle and Esme's drive and we hoped it would be a quick drop off.

With a kiss on the cheek for each of us, Esme quickly ushered her grandkids inside by enticing them with the pool and eventually s'mores by the fire.

"So where are you staying?" Carlisle asked as Edward tossed him the keys to our car and quickly moved our packs.

"Out by Montauk. Though he won't tell me exactly where." I shrugged.

"Well have fun. We'll see you on Monday." He gave me a quick hug and I sighed. Carlisle was truly a second father to me.

Suddenly I heard the engine rev and I knew Edward was ready.

Hell yes.

"Have fun. Be careful." Carlisle gave Edward a look, he never liked his motorcycle either, but we both wore helmets.

With a wave we were off and on our way down the island.

"Kid free weekend." I murmured as Edward pulled out on the highway.

"Thank God." He replied and I chuckled as I settled in.

It didn't take long for us to get to our destination.

In fact not long at all.

"I thought we were going to Montauk?"

"Nope." I could see his smile even behind his mask.

We pulled in the drive of a very pretty blue and white home. It wasn't large and architectural like his parents. But it wasn't small either.

It was very Hamptons in other ways instead. Slate blue siding, white shutters, a circular driveway and a brick pathway leading to the front door.

"Where are we Edward?" I started to get suspicious. We couldn't have been more than minutes away, maybe even walking distance from his parents.

"Our house."

I opened my mouth and then closed it again before my brain caught up.

"What do you mean by 'our'?" I pulled off my helmet and looked at him.

"Happy Birthday Liefje."

"Edward…" my eyes went wide. He knew I hated surprises…and gifts. Big gifts especially.

And this was a really fucking big gift.

I huffed out a sigh and he tried to contain his grin. But then he pulled me to him.

"Remember when I said, I was going to show you every day for the rest of our lives how thankful I am for you and how much I appreciate you?" He said, pushing my hair back and holding me with his gaze.

I just shook my head, speechless.

A house. He had to be kidding. But I knew he wasn't. Because he had made good on his promise the last few years. Not that he ever hadn't, but if anything he had been more attentive, more present and lavished us in ways that only he could.

"C'mon. I want to show you." He grabbed my hand.

We walked up the path and he pulled out keys to open the door. Once he opened it and we stepped in, I immediately noticed how light it was and how you could see all the way through to the ocean.

We had kicked around the idea of getting a place in the Hamptons, but I always felt like I couldn't justify doing it when we could just stay at his parents. Though I knew Edward, _we_ , had plenty of money, I had a hard time shaking that budget conscious cop's kid from Brooklyn. But with all of the kids getting older and needing their space and the fact that Ben and Angela often came out too, it got a bit cramped at Carlisle and Esme's.

"I can't believe you did this." I finally said, shaking my head as I stepped in.

It was clearly older but completely updated and renovated. The small foyer gave way to a dining room on one side and a staircase leading up. To the left was a formal living room and to the back the kitchen and a huge family room and sitting room that was designed as a library. The kitchen was gleaming with white cabinets, counters and backsplash and the rest of the home was pale blues, grays and beiges that fit its oceanside location.

As we walked out onto the large deck I couldn't help but smile at the hot tub on one side. As we stepped out further, the deck stepped down to a large patio with the fenced pool on one side and a large fire pit on the other. Then straight out from there the beach and the ocean.

"So how close are we?" I asked as I turned on the patio.

"Half a mile down the beach."

"Walkable." I shook my head.

"Yup." He grinned.

"All right, show me the rest if you have to." I said in mock annoyance. But I had to admit, it was pretty spectacular.

Upstairs were five bedrooms: a master with a private bath, two bedrooms with a jack and jill and another two bedrooms that shared a bath.

"This way, I figured Charlie and Sue and Seth and Leah can come visit as well." He murmured as we looked out at the ocean off the second level of the deck. It was connected to the master.

He put his arms around me as he pulled me against him.

"I thought this way, we might be able to get a little more time away together as well." He whispered in my ear.

He knew he had me, damn conniving former agent that he was.

I wanted to put up a fight, but frankly I wanted him too much right then to care.

"What about all the furnishings? Are those ours as well?"

"Mom helped me pick out a lot of it, but we can replace whatever you don't like."

"Sounds like you've thought of everything." I retorted, wanting him to work for it a bit.

When he spun me around I looked up at his eyes, I saw the concern there.

"Bella…" He murmured, putting his hands on my face. "I want this to be ours. Not my parents place. Alice and Jasper can have that someday. But if you don't like it…"

"It's not that I don't like it. Edward it's beautiful, but do we really need it?"

"Liefje, I have more money than I will ever know what to do with. I want to be able to spend time with you and the kids, while we can. I want to give you the world because you are the world to me. Please let me do that."

And…I melted.

Game. Set. Match.

I shook my head at him, unable to hide the smile taking over my face.

"So can we keep it?" He asked, smirking at me, seeing that I was giving in.

"I guess… but you might have to make it up to me." I said as I kissed his chin. "Multiple times."

"Oh I think I can handle that." He chuckled as his lips met my neck.

Before I could register it, we were through the doors and my back hit the bed. It took him no time at all to strip me out of my clothes. We'd gotten pretty quick at that, trying to sneak in sex with three kids and work and everything else.

I was spread out before him, his eyes almost black as he took me in.

"What?" I asked, wondering why he'd paused.

"Nothing, I'm just a lucky son of a bitch."

"Touché Mr. Cullen." I chuckled and curled my leg around his back, pulling him in. He still looked amazing, ripped muscles, tatted up chest and back. God he was sex on legs.

My hands brought the rest of him to me as our lips met. I tried to slow down, to enjoy it, but I just wanted him so bad.

He was right there, rubbing against me as I shifted my hips. His hands spread up and down my body, covering my tits until he took my nipple in his mouth.

"Fuck." I muttered.

"I know." He rumbled. "Liefje I promise I will take my time with you later, but God I need to be inside you right this second."

"No argument here." I replied as he sunk in.

"Yes." He hissed, stilling for a second to catch his breath.

"Please Edward." I lifted my hips, pulling him deeper as his hands worked me over. We were both riled up from the car ride and earlier, I knew it was going to be quick.

As a parent, I appreciated quick.

Soon he had me flipped around, feet on the floor, hands on the bed as I leaned over it.

"God you were killing me in the car, on the bike, I've wanted fuck you since we left the house." He growled in my ear as his body covered my back, his lips attaching to my neck, sucking, tasting me.

"Yes." I cried out as he hit right there and I fisted the comforter. "Harder."

"Christ Liefje, how does this always get better?"

"I know, I know…" I couldn't speak, I couldn't think. I was so close.

"Right there."

"Yes." His fingers met the rest of him.

"Oh God." I cried out, shuddering and Edward followed soon after. Then we collapsed on the bed.

"Mmmm." Edward lay beside me and pulled me to him. "I think I love this this house already."

I laughed as he brushed my hair over my shoulder and kissed along my neck. Then I hummed and leaned back into him. We never had time to just lay together anymore, to enjoy the afterglow. The cool breeze from the ocean swept over us as Edward told me more about the house.

Friends of his parents were moving to Florida and they got it for a deal because it had been in pretty rough shape. So he bought it six months ago, hoping to have it ready sooner, but then having it ready for my birthday. He'd let Esme and Alice run with it and completely remodeled the home to fit my, our, style. It didn't have a pool or a fire pit before and he'd had all of that put in, including the gate around the pool in case we had little kids over.

He'd thought of everything. I loved that he had even thought of my family.

We'd all grown closer over the last few years, realizing just how short life could be. My father had recently informed the NYPD that he would be retiring at the end of the year. He and Sue were hoping to do some traveling, something he never had the chance to do in his younger years.

Leah had remarried and was doing well in her job at Reycon. She managed an entire team and was thriving both professionally and personally.

Seth and Senna married a year ago. Once he joined ELC he finally had a more normal schedule so that they could see one another. She had also settled into a job at one of the large modeling agencies in the City. They were enjoying newlywed life and being free from many of the demons of their pasts as well.

As were all of our friends and family, Rose and Emmett and their boys were thriving, as were Garrett and Kate and their two kids, and Alice and Jasper and the girls. We were blessed beyond words with the friends and family we were surrounded with.

After a shower and Edward following through on his promise to make it up to me, we decided to go for a ride on the bike all the way down the island.

I put on my black leather pants and a black tank top—the only non-pool attire I'd brought and hopped on the back.

"Goddamn." Edward muttered as I put my arms around him.

"What?" I asked.

"You. Those pants. Are you trying to kill me?" He grumbled.

I laughed, knowing what he thought of these from our first anniversary.

Soon we were on the highway and speeding our way down the island with the wind in our hair. It was early evening, and we planned to park the bike and get some food in Montauk. But for now we were just enjoying the warm end of summer breeze, the views of the beautiful homes and the ocean as we sped along.

Once we parked the bike, I hopped off and put my helmet away. Then I tipped my head over fluffing up my hair.

Edward was watching me and I gave him a smile as he had a funny look on his face.

"What?"

"Nothing it's just…"

I quirked an eyebrow at him.

"You're so damn beautiful it hurts to look at you sometimes." He said as he grabbed my hand and pulled me to him.

"Thanks." I murmured, I could feel my cheeks heating at his compliment.

"Let's grab dinner to go and then…I want to take you somewhere." Edward said quietly.

"Okay." I shrugged, wondering about his change in demeanor.

We grabbed a couple of beers and sandwiches at a beachside bar and grill. Then we walked hand in hand down the beach until we found a spot near a rock with a great view of the sunset.

"Is this it?" I asked.

He nodded as he tossed out the blanket that he had tucked into the pack on the bike. We sat down to eat and watch the sun dip in the horizon.

I leaned back into him, sipping my beer and just enjoying the view and the feel of his arms around me. We shared each other's sandwiches and just ate in quiet contentment for a few minutes until I finally asked.

"So what did you want to show me?" I turned so I could look at him.

He finished his sandwich and his beer and peered back.

"C'mere." He pulled me up and we walked around the rock to the other side where I saw something scratched in it.

ECC

EAC

"Is that?" I looked closer, making out the initials.

"Yeah, Eric and me." He shrugged.

He had long ago made peace with his brother's death, but it was still touching when he shared something like this with me. I knew it must have been special for him to bring me here.

"When did you do it?" I asked as I squeezed his hand.

"He was 18, I was 17." He looked up, likely lost in the memory.

But there was more, I could tell. Edward was, as Emmett told me years ago, the most complicated man I had ever met. And if anyone knew that, I did. So there was a reason for him bringing me to this place.

"It means a lot to you." I finally whispered, pulling him back.

His eyes met mine and he looked at me, really looked at me, as he sometimes did. It was like he was undoing a puzzle and then putting it all back together in his head.

Then he pulled me to him and put his arms around me as his eyes danced across my face.

"I remember…" He started, but paused for a moment.

"Yeah?"

"This was one of his favorite spots. He would come here when he needed to think or talk. And he wasn't always the most emotional about girls, but he had just broken up with a girl he really liked. Actually she broke up with him." He closed his eyes thinking for a moment, but I waited for him to continue.

"We drove all the way down here to get away and somehow ended up out here skipping rocks as he vented. Though he wasn't always the most sentimental we got to talking about what we wanted in a woman, in a partner, in life, though we were just teenagers." A small smile graced his face as he was lost in the memory.

I studied him as he thought for a moment, waiting for what came next. He glanced at the horizon and then back at me.

"I wish he could have had what we have. I wish he could have met you. Because when I told him what I wanted that night, it doesn't even compare."

Tears welled in my eyes and my heart pounded in my chest.

"Edward." I whispered. Just pulling him closer to me so that there wasn't even a millimeter between us.

"I'd told him that I wanted someone strong and independent. Someone who was kind but could still have fun and not be too serious. I didn't want a clingy girl, but I wanted a girl who was there for me all the same. And obviously someone hot." He chuckled, thinking back on his teenage self almost thirty years later.

"But I found more than that." He murmured.

I shook my head, not knowing what to say.

"You know that Led Zeppelin song, Ramble On?" He said then, taking in me in what I thought was an entirely new direction.

"Yeah?" I shook my head at him, unsure where he was going with this.

"Well it's kind of fitting; like us, like me."

I thought about the words for a moment and then peered back at him.

"You've gone around the world to find your girl?" I knew the song but I was a bit puzzled by his reference.

He smiled and tipped my head up with his fingertips. "I _rambled_ on all over the world, never wanting to stay, never being tied to anyone, for over ten years. Not knowing it, but looking for the queen of my dreams." He murmured.

"And I found you. You're the queen of my dreams."

My breath caught in my throat and the tears started to spill over this time, but he continued.

"Remember that first night we really spent together, in Alice's kitchen." I nodded not sure I could speak anyhow.

"That was it for me. I remember thinking, 'how could she have so much in common with me'. You knocked me off my axis. You brought me into the light. How I'd described my perfect girl to Eric, she was you. Yet you are so much better, so much more than I could have imagined. Like I told you before I left for Spain, I loved you before forever." He paused for a moment.

"Yet even that idea, that light that drew me out, doesn't even come close to what I found. But somewhere in my subconscious—even though I was drowning in my grief and vengeance—it was that idea. That part of me was pulling me back. I think that part of me was being pulled to you."

The tears were just streaming down my face now and I didn't even care. I just kissed him, threading my fingers in his hair as he did the same and deepened the kiss.

Finally when we pulled back, out of breath, his green eyes were almost black with want. But they still shone tenderly as he leaned his forehead against mine.

"I wasn't whole until I found you. I wasn't living until you walked into my life."

"Thank you. I love you _so_ much, but I don't think I have told you enough just how much you have brought me back. I feel like I owe it to him to live a good life, to enjoy and relish in the things that he never had the chance to have. And _you've_ made that happen." He stated as his lips met mine again and he crushed me to him.

His strong arms surrounded me and he pulled me into him with a fierceness I hadn't felt since after his mission. I loved him with every fiber of my being and I wanted to show him, tell him, just that as well.

I wrapped my arms around him and held him as tight as possible as I whispered in his ear.

"I love you Edward Cullen. And I will never stop. You're more than I could have ever imagined as well, as a partner, as a father, as a best friend. I'm pretty sure you knocked me off my axis that day at Gray's and again at the Met… _my_ Apollo." I turned and smiled at him through my tears and he smiled back lovingly as he brushed them away.

Suddenly a dog barked near us on the beach, breaking us out of our bubble. The moment passing, but one I would remember forever, just as the others.

The first time I saw him at Gray's. Our meeting at the Met. At the Apollo Theater. At the hospital after I was kidnapped. On our wedding day. At the helipad. When I saw him after we emerged from the water and after the takedown. When I told him I was pregnant with all three of our kids and every moment in between.

He was my earth that grounded me, but he was also my fire that made me burn, and my wind that made me fly.

And I was ready to fly.

"What do you say we go back to _our_ house and get in that hot tub and you can continue making it up to me?" I said lowly as he traced his fingers down my face.

"Now that sounds amazing." He said and kissed me hard, one more time for good measure.

I would remember this birthday forever. But I was ready to get on with living.

And I knew he felt the same.

He spun around and I laughed at his hurriedness and his turn to more lighthearted behavior. He rushed us back to the bike and we packed up and I straddled the back. My legs were around his as my arms wrapped tightly around his stomach as he revved the engine.

Soon we were pulling back on the highway and coasting to our destination. The sun now low in the sky and the wind whipping past us.

Ready to move on with our night, with our life, with _living_ , together.

 *** &^%$#**

 **~The End~**

*ELC- Named after the kids- Eric/Luciana/Charlotte

A/N: I really don't know what to say about the end of this one. I had a very clear vision of having them ride off into the sunset, and so they did. But I think it also had to have some Zeppelin, it had to come back to his brother a bit, and it had to show just how complex this whole story has been including their love for one another, and all that they have been through. I hope it did. It was very hard to say to good-bye to them.

Thank you for reading, thank you for those who have reviewed, and thank you for being a part of this ride that has been almost ten years in the making.

As for whether this will be published (Covert Redemption- possibly split into two parts and The Last Mission). It will. It will. I just need to take time and reevaluate how to do it. But frankly it's on my resolution list. So, hopefully, it will happen soon.

Until then, there may be more one-shots or other stories. We'll see what hits me out of the blue. But I do have a couple of other ideas I've been kicking around for a while.

jamesandginge on twitter

Amery Jameson on Facebook

A. Jameson on Amazon and Smashwords.

Thank you all so much for reading and for your wonderful reviews.

~AMJ


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